IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/revint/v19y2024i1d10.1007_s11558-023-09493-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Migration governance through trade agreements: insights from the MITA dataset

Author

Listed:
  • Sandra Lavenex

    (University of Geneva)

  • Philipp Lutz

    (University of Geneva
    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Paula Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik

    (University of Geneva
    University of Cologne)

Abstract

States struggle to establish multilateral cooperation on migration – yet they include more and more migration provisions in preferential trade agreements (PTAs). This article sheds light on this phenomenon by introducing the Migration Provisions in Preferential Trade Agreements (MITA) dataset. Covering 797 agreements signed between 1960 and 2020, this dataset offers a fine-grained coding of three types of migration provisions: those that facilitate the international mobility of service providers and labor migrants, protect migrant rights, and control unauthorized migration. Against the backdrop of limping multilateralism, we examine PTAs’ migration policy content with regard to two key cooperation dilemmas: conflicts of interest within developed countries and between them and developing countries. Facilitating business and labor mobility might be a possible way around the first dilemma, commonly referred to as the ‘liberal paradox': the tension between economic demands for openness and political calls for closure. Nevertheless, this facilitation is largely limited to highly skilled migrants and agreements between developed economies. Provisions for migration control tend to be included in agreements between developed and developing countries, which signals that states use issue-linkages to address the second dilemma, i.e. interest asymmetries. Finally, provisions for migrant rights stand out because they do not deepen over time. Our findings suggest that while PTAs have become an increasingly common venue for migration governance, the issue-linkage between trade and migration cooperation perpetuates entrenched divisions in the international system. The MITA dataset will allow researchers and policymakers to track the evolution of the trade-migration nexus and systematically investigate the motives for and effects of various migration provisions in PTAs.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra Lavenex & Philipp Lutz & Paula Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, 2024. "Migration governance through trade agreements: insights from the MITA dataset," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 147-173, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:revint:v:19:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11558-023-09493-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11558-023-09493-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11558-023-09493-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11558-023-09493-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. André Sapir, 1999. "The general agreement on trade in services: from 1994 to the year 2000," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/8150, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Henrik Horn & Petros C. Mavroidis & André Sapir, 2010. "Beyond the WTO? An Anatomy of EU and US Preferential Trade Agreements," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(11), pages 1565-1588, November.
    3. repec:osf:osfxxx:hg3vm_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:phd:pjdevt:pjd_2013_vol__38_nos__1-2x is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Drake, William J. & Nicolaïdis, Kalypso, 1992. "Ideas, interests, and institutionalization: “trade in services” and the Uruguay Round," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 37-100, January.
    6. repec:bla:ecpoli:v:22:y:2007:i::p:339-383 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Paula Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik & Sandra Lavenex & Philipp Lutz, 2023. "Expanding, Complementing, or Substituting Multilateralism? EU Preferential Trade Agreements in the Migration Regime Complex," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 49-61.
    8. repec:sae:mrxval:v:52:y:2018:i:2:p:324-367 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Joel P. Trachtman, 2009. "The International Law of Economic Migration: Toward the Fourth Freedom," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number ilem.
    10. Adam S. Chilton & Eric A. Posner, 2018. "Why Countries Sign Bilateral Labor Agreements," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 47(S1), pages 45-88.
    11. Amaral, Ernesto F. L., 2013. "Brazil, internal migration," OSF Preprints hg3vm, Center for Open Science.
    12. Gianluca Orefice, 2015. "International migration and trade agreements: The new role of PTAs," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(1), pages 310-334, February.
    13. Paula Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik & Sandra Lavenex & Philipp Lutz, 2023. "Expanding, Complementing, or Substituting Multilateralism? EU Preferential Trade Agreements in the Migration Regime Complex," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 49-61.
    14. Oh , Yoon Ah & Jung , Jione, 2013. "Determinants of International Labor Migration to Korea," Working Papers 13-8, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.
    15. repec:oup:ecpoli:v:22:y:2007:i::p:339-383 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. repec:sae:mrxval:v:29:y:1995:i:4:p:881-902 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Flavia Jurje & Sandra Lavenex, 2014. "Trade Agreements as Venues for ´Market Power Europe´? The Case of Immigration Policy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 320-336, March.
    18. Aaditya Mattoo & Antonia Carzaniga, 2003. "Moving People to Deliver Services," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15088, April.
    19. Jonathan Ariel & Yoram Z. Haftel, 2021. "Mostly in its Backyard: Security Provisions in EU Economic Agreements," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1419-1437, November.
    20. Andreas Dür & Leonardo Baccini & Manfred Elsig, 2014. "The design of international trade agreements: Introducing a new dataset," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 353-375, September.
    21. Lisa Lechner, 2018. "Good for some, bad for others: US investors and non-trade issues in preferential trade agreements," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 163-187, June.
    22. repec:sae:mrxval:v:42:y:2008:i:1:p:249-265 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Dür, Andreas & Baccini, Leonardo & Elsig, Manfred, 2014. "The design of international trade agreements: introducing a new dataset," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 59179, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    24. Timothy J. Hatton, 2007. "Should we have a WTO for international migration? [‘The growth of world trade: Tariffs, transport costs and income similarity’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 22(50), pages 340-383.
    25. Helbling, Marc & Bjerre, Liv & Römer, Friederike & Zobel, Malisa, 2017. "Measuring immigration policies: the IMPIC database," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 16(1), pages 79-98.
    26. repec:phd:pjdevt:pjd_2013_vol__38_nos__1-2c is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Jean-Frédéric Morin & Andreas Dür & Lisa Lechner, 2018. "Mapping the Trade and Environment Nexus: Insights from a New Data Set," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 18(1), pages 122-139, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kolcava, Dennis & Nguyen, Quynh & Bernauer, Thomas, 2019. "Does trade liberalization lead to environmental burden shifting in the global economy?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 98-112.
    2. Jean-Frédéric Morin & Clara Brandi & Jakob Schwab, 2024. "Environmental agreements as clubs: Evidence from a new dataset of trade provisions," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 33-62, January.
    3. Di Ubaldo, Mattia & Gasiorek, Michael, 2022. "Non-trade provisions in trade agreements and FDI," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    4. Brandi, Clara & Schwab, Jakob & Berger, Axel & Morin, Jean-Frédéric, 2020. "Do environmental provisions in trade agreements make exports from developing countries greener?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    5. Jonas Gamso & Robert Grosse, 2021. "Trade agreement depth, foreign direct investment, and the moderating role of property rights," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(2), pages 308-325, June.
    6. Kox, Henk L.M. & Rojas Romasgosa, Hugo, 2019. "Gravity estimations with FDI bilateral data: Potential FDI effects of deep preferential trade agreements," MPRA Paper 96318, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Wen Yue & Qingxia Lin & Siyu Xu, 2023. "Investment effect of regional trade agreements: an analysis from the perspective of heterogeneous agreement provisions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Campi, Mercedes & Dueñas, Marco, 2019. "Intellectual property rights, trade agreements, and international trade," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 531-545.
    9. Patricia AUGIER & Olivier CADOT & Marion DOVIS, 2016. "Regulatory harmonization, profits, and productivity: Firm-level evidence from Morocco," Working Papers P162, FERDI.
    10. Jacopo Timini & Nicola Cortinovis & Fernando López Vicente, 2022. "The heterogeneous effects of trade agreements with labour provisions," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(9), pages 2820-2853, September.
    11. Iain Osgood & Yilang Feng, 2018. "Intellectual property provisions and support for US trade agreements," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 421-455, September.
    12. David J. Kuenzel, 2019. "Do trade flows respond to nudges? Evidence from the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Mechanism," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 735-764, August.
    13. Peter H. Egger & Filip Tarlea, 2021. "Comparing Apples to Apples: Estimating Consistent Partial Effects of Preferential Economic Integration Agreements," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 88(350), pages 456-473, April.
    14. Elisabeth Christen & Klaus S. Friesenbichler & Alexander Hudetz & Claudia Kettner-Marx & Ina Meyer & Franz Sinabell, 2021. "Außenhandel und nachhaltige Entwicklung in Österreich. Befunde auf der Grundlage von vorliegenden Quellen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 69290.
    15. Kyle Bagwell & Chad P. Bown & Robert W. Staiger, 2016. "Is the WTO Passé?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 54(4), pages 1125-1231, December.
    16. Céline Carrère & Marcelo Olarreaga & Damian Raess, 2022. "Labor clauses in trade agreements: Hidden protectionism?," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 453-483, July.
    17. Arita, Shawn & Beckman, Jayson & Mitchell, Lorraine, 2017. "Reducing transatlantic barriers on U.S.-EU agri-food trade: What are the possible gains?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 233-247.
    18. Mattoo,Aaditya & Rocha,Nadia & Ruta,Michele, 2020. "The Evolution of Deep Trade Agreements," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9283, The World Bank.
    19. Staiger, Robert & Bagwell, Kyle & Bown, Chad, 2015. "Is the WTO Passé?," CEPR Discussion Papers 10672, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. James Hollway & Jean-Frédéric Morin & Joost Pauwelyn, 2020. "Structural conditions for novelty: the introduction of new environmental clauses to the trade regime complex," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 61-83, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade; Migration; Preferential trade agreements; Issue-linkage; Venue-shopping;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:revint:v:19:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11558-023-09493-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.