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Per-Unit Duties: Friends or Foes of Developing Country Exporters?

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  • Charlotte Emlinger
  • Houssein Guimbard

Abstract

Protectionist instruments such as tariffs can distort the prices of traded goods. This paper explores the impact of specific (per-unit) duties on patterns of agricultural trade. Specific duties may encourage countries to export higher priced products, leading to an “Alchian-Allen effect” on unit values. Their restrictive effect on trade values is smaller for developed compared to developing countries. It can be explained by the specialization of these countries on low-priced products and by the low level of quality differentiation among their exports. Our results highlight the discriminating nature of specific duties for low-income countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Charlotte Emlinger & Houssein Guimbard, 2013. "Per-Unit Duties: Friends or Foes of Developing Country Exporters?," Working Papers 2013-23, CEPII research center.
    • Handle: RePEc:cii:cepidt:2013-23
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Curzi, Daniele & Pacca, Lucia, 2015. "Price, quality and trade costs in the food sector," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 147-158.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    specific duties; agricultural trade; developing countries; trade unit values;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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