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Does WTO Membership Make a Difference at the Extensive Margin of World Trade?

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Listed:
  • Gabriel Felbermayr
  • Wilhelm Kohler
  • Gabriel J. Felbermayr

Abstract

In his seminal paper, Rose (2004) concluded from a gravity-type study of bilateral trade that the GATT/WTO does not play a strong role in encouraging trade. Rose looks at countries where the amount of trade was positive to start with (intensive margin). In this paper, we present a corner-solutions version of the gravity model of bilateral trade which explains zero trade and leaves room for WTO membership to promote trade at the extensive margin of trade. Relying on a Tobit estimation approach, we find that WTO membership has promoted world trade to a larger extent than Rose’s results seem to indicate.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriel Felbermayr & Wilhelm Kohler & Gabriel J. Felbermayr, 2007. "Does WTO Membership Make a Difference at the Extensive Margin of World Trade?," CESifo Working Paper Series 1898, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1898
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gabriel J Felbermayr & Wilhelm Kohler, 2014. "Exploring the Intensive and Extensive Margins of World Trade," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: European Economic Integration, WTO Membership, Immigration and Offshoring, chapter 4, pages 115-148, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Rose, Andrew K., 2004. "Do WTO members have more liberal trade policy?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 209-235, July.
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    13. Elhanan Helpman & Marc Melitz & Yona Rubinstein, 2006. "Trading Partners and Trading Volumes," DEGIT Conference Papers c011_022, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chang, Pao-Li & Lee, Myoung-Jae, 2011. "The WTO trade effect," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 53-71, September.
    2. Anne-Célia Disdier & Lionel Fontagné & Mondher Mimouni, 2015. "Tariff Liberalization and Trade Integration of Emerging Countries," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(5), pages 946-971, November.
    3. Buono, Ines & Lalanne, Guy, 2012. "The effect of the Uruguay round on the intensive and extensive margins of trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 269-283.
    4. Mitik, Lulit & Decaluwé, Bernard, 2008. "The impact of trade on female labor and girls’ education in South Africa: a CGE analysis," Conference papers 331785, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    5. Maria Persson, 2013. "Trade facilitation and the extensive margin," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 658-693, August.
    6. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of the duration of membership in the World Trade Organization on Trademark Applications," EconStor Preprints 253266, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    7. Christodoulopoulou, Styliani, 2010. "THE Effects of Multilateral Trade Liberalization on the Extensive and the Intensive Margins of Trade," MPRA Paper 29169, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of Aid for Trade flows on the Accession to the World Trade Organization," EconStor Preprints 261331, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    9. Eicher, Theo S. & Henn, Christian, 2011. "In search of WTO trade effects: Preferential trade agreements promote trade strongly, but unevenly," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 137-153, March.
    10. Türkcan, Kemal & Pişkin, Erhan, 2014. "Ticaret Anlaşmalarının Türkiye’nin İhracat Dinamiğine Etkisi: Yaygın ve Yoğun Ticaret [The Effects of the Trade Agreements on the Dynamics of Turkey’s Export: Extensive and Intensive Margins]," MPRA Paper 59841, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Richard Frensch, 2008. "Trade liberalisation, adoption costs, and import margins in CEEC and OECD trade," Working Papers 269, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    12. Rolf J. Langhammer, 2010. "Unordnung in der internationalen Handelsordnung: Befunde, Gründe, Auswirkungen und Therapien," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 11(1), pages 75-98, February.
    13. Sergio de Nardis & Carmine Pappalardo & Claudio Vicarelli, 2008. "The Euro adoption’s impact on extensive and intensive margins of trade: the Italian case," ISAE Working Papers 101, ISTAT - Italian National Institute of Statistics - (Rome, ITALY).
    14. Cong S. Pham & Mary E. Lovely & Devashish Mitra, 2017. "The home-market effect and bilateral trade patterns: A reexamination of the evidence," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Mary E Lovely (ed.), International Economic Integration and Domestic Performance, chapter 8, pages 135-152, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    15. repec:hal:pseose:hal-01299753 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Soonchan Park & Innwon Park, 2023. "Firm size‐specific trade effects of regional trade agreements: Estimating extensive and intensive margins of trade," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 82-112, March.
    17. Sena Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Duration of the Membership in the GATT/WTO, Structural Economic Vulnerability and Trade Costs," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-32, May.
    18. Persson, Maria, 2008. "Trade Facilitation and the Extensive and Intensive Margins of Trade," Working Papers 2008:13, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    19. Claudio, Vicarelli & Carmine, Pappalardo, 2012. "Euro introduction and export behaviour of Italian firms," MPRA Paper 43386, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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