IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wti/papers/720.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Trade effects of MRL harmonization in the EU

Author

Listed:
  • Foletti, Liliana
  • MILE 02, Anirudh Shingal

Abstract

Combining original data on Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in pesticides with bilateral trade and standard gravity variables over 2005-11, this paper identifies the effect of the complete harmonization of MRLs across EU member states on inter- and intra-EU agri-food trade at both margins. We make an empirical contribution to the impact assessment of standards literature by identifying the trade effects of two different harmonization dynamics in health-related standards: complete harmonization of domestic and foreign regulation (intra-EU members) and harmonization of standards between a large number of foreign markets (non EU-members). Significantly, we find that the harmonization of MRL standards may have led to greater trade at both margins for all different sub-samples, even those including developing country exporters. Our results also suggest that having different MRL regulations is mostly costly at the extensive margin; this is found to be especially true for intra-EU15 agri-trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Foletti, Liliana & MILE 02, Anirudh Shingal, 2014. "Trade effects of MRL harmonization in the EU," Papers 720, World Trade Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:wti:papers:720
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.wti.org/media/filer_public/f2/d7/f2d7ba95-07e8-4df7-89bf-88d6fe7af9d9/05_trade_effects_of_mrl_harmonization.pdf
    File Function: First version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maggie Xiaoyang Chen & Aaditya Mattoo, 2008. "Regionalism in standards: good or bad for trade?," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 41(3), pages 838-863, August.
    2. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2004. "Trade Costs," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 691-751, September.
    3. Achterbosch, Thom J. & Engler, Alejandra & Rau, Marie-Luise & Toledo, Roger, 2009. "Measure the measure: the impact of differences in pesticide MRLs on Chilean fruit exports to the EU," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51765, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. de Sousa, José, 2012. "The currency union effect on trade is decreasing over time," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 917-920.
    5. A. Mantovani & M. Vancauteren, 2003. "The Harmonization of Technical Barriers to Trade, Innovation and Export Behavior: Theory with an application to EU Environmental Data," Working Papers 480, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    6. Shepherd, Ben, 2007. "Product standards, harmonization, and trade : evidence from the extensive margin," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4390, The World Bank.
    7. Mark Vancauteren & Daniel Weiserbs, 2011. "Intra-European Trade of Manufacturing Goods: An Extension of the Gravity Model," International Econometric Review (IER), Econometric Research Association, vol. 3(1), pages 1-24, April.
    8. Elhanan Helpman & Marc Melitz & Yona Rubinstein, 2008. "Estimating Trade Flows: Trading Partners and Trading Volumes," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(2), pages 441-487.
    9. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    10. Baldwin, Richard, 2000. "Regulatory Protectionism, Developing Nations and a Two-Tier World Trade System," CEPR Discussion Papers 2574, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Ganslandt, Mattias & Markusen, James R., 2001. "National Standards and International Trade," Working Paper Series 547, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    12. Bruno Henry de Frahan & Mark Vancauteren, 2006. "Harmonisation of food regulations and trade in the Single Market: evidence from disaggregated data," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 33(3), pages 337-360, September.
    13. MANTOVANI Andrea & VANCAUTEREN Mark, 2010. "The Harmonization of Technical Barriers to Trade, Innovation and Export Behavior: Theory with an Application to EU Environmental Regulations," EcoMod2003 330700094, EcoMod.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stéphan Marette & Anne‐Célia Disdier & Anastasia Bodnar & John Beghin, 2023. "New plant engineering techniques, R&D investment and international trade," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 349-368, June.
    2. Olaide Akin-Olagunju & Abiodun Falusi & Sulaiman Yusuf & Victor Okoruwa, 2022. "Does Pesticide Regulation Impact the Export Competitiveness of Major Global Cocoa Producers?," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 47-72, December.
    3. Hejazi, Mina & Grant, Jason H. & Peterson, Everett, 2016. "Hidden Trade Costs? Maximum Residue Limits and US Exports to Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Trading Partners," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235847, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Akin-Olagunju, O. & Yusuf, S. & Okoruwa, V., 2018. "Harmonization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards in Cocoa Trade: How Competitive are the Major Exporting Countries?," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277463, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

    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. Foletti, Liliana & MILE 02, Anirudh Shingal, 2014. "Stricter regulation boosts exports: the case of Maximum Residue Levels in pesticides," Papers 836, World Trade Institute.
    2. Anirudh Shingal & Malte Ehrich & Liliana Foletti, 2021. "Re‐estimating the effect of heterogeneous standards on trade: Endogeneity matters," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 756-787, March.
    3. Anirudh Shingal & Malte Ehrich, 2019. "Trade effects of standards harmonization in the EU: improved access for non-EU partners," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Working Paper 372, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, India.
    4. Witold Czubala & Ben Shepherd & John S. Wilson, 2009. "Help or Hindrance? The Impact of Harmonised Standards on African Exports †," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 18(5), pages 711-744, November.
    5. Schmidt, Julia & Steingress, Walter, 2022. "No double standards: Quantifying the impact of standard harmonization on trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    6. Ederington,Josh & Ruta,Michele, 2016. "Non-tariff measures and the world trading system," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7661, The World Bank.
    7. Annalisa Zezza & Federica Demaria & Maria Rosaria Pupo d'Andrea & Jo Swinnen & Giulia Meloni & Senne Vandevelde & Alessandro Olper & Daniele Curzi & Valentina Raimondi & Sophie Drogue, 2018. "Research for AGRI Committee - Agricultural trade: assessing reciprocity of standards," Working Papers hal-02787948, HAL.
    8. Chen, Natalie & Novy, Dennis, 2008. "International Trade Integration: A Disaggregated Approach," CEPR Discussion Papers 7103, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Clougherty, Joseph A. & Grajek, Michał, 2014. "International standards and international trade: Empirical evidence from ISO 9000 diffusion," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 70-82.
    10. Reyes, Jose-Daniel, 2011. "International harmonization of product standards and firm heterogeneity in international trade," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5677, The World Bank.
    11. Hejazi, Mina & Grant, Jason H. & Peterson, Everett, 2016. "Hidden Trade Costs? Maximum Residue Limits and US Exports to Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Trading Partners," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235847, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters,in: Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    14. Anne-Célia Disdier & Lionel Fontagné & Olivier Cadot, 2015. "North-South Standards Harmonization and International Trade," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 327-352.
    15. Olivier Cadot & Julien Gourdon, 2016. "Non-tariff measures, preferential trade agreements, and prices: new evidence," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(2), pages 227-249, May.
    16. Xiaohua Bao & Wei-Chih Chen, 2013. "The Impacts of Technical Barriers to Trade on Different Components of International Trade," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(3), pages 447-460, August.
    17. Chen, Natalie & Novy, Dennis, 2011. "Gravity, trade integration, and heterogeneity across industries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 206-221.
    18. Joseph A. Clougherty & Michal Grajek, 2009. "ISO 9000: New form of protectionism or common language in international trade?," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-09-006, ESMT European School of Management and Technology.
    19. Egger, Peter H. & Nigai, Sergey, 2015. "Structural gravity with dummies only: Constrained ANOVA-type estimation of gravity models," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 86-99.
    20. Olivier Cadot & Julien Gourdon, 2016. "Non-tariff measures, preferential trade agreements, and prices: new evidence," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(2), pages 227-249, May.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:wti:papers:720. 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: Morven McLean (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/wtibech.html .

    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.