By utilizing panel statistics of 1520 country pairs and economic integration agreements (EIAs) from 2007 to 2017, this paper presents evidence of the effect of EIAs on export margins, i.e., both extensive (firms) and intensive margins (average exports per firm). In doing so, this work adds...

This Perspective argues that the ASEAN-led RCEP agreement and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific have created significant momentum for ASEAN to further reinforce its central role in advancing Asia-Pacific economic integration.

The Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle has historically been instrumental in promoting stability and equitable trade conditions. In recent decades there has been a rise in bilateral and regional trade agreements, which deviate from the MFN principle in providing more favourable tariff...

How does dismantling deep integration affect international trade? This paper provides new evidence on the consequences of disintegration by estimating the impact of Brexit on goods trade by UK firms. The UK’s exit from the EU’s single market and customs union in January 2021 led to an...

This study examines the effects of at-the-border and behind-the-border measures on the intraregional perishable goods trade in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation region by combining trade facilitation indicators at the bilateral product level with an extensive dataset of nontariff...

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mobility restrictions had a significant impact on trade times and costs at the borders, particularly in landlocked developing countries. This paper examines the effect of COVID-19 mobility measures on the time required for cargo to clear...

The current geopolitical landscape has made domestic resource mobilization an even more important imperative for developing countries. In this context, it is more urgent than ever to combat illicit financial flows (IFFs) whose staggering amount from developing countries has...

This study explores the role of regional trade agreements (RTAs) in mitigating the negative effects of uncertainty on trade, focusing on their depth and differential impacts on global value chain (GVC) and traditional trade. By employing an augmented gravity model with data from 70 countries...

In this paper, we analyze the regional trade introversion indexes (RTIIs) for regional trading arrangements (RTAs)with various numbers of differently developed participants and different depths of economic integration. The analyszed RTAs stem from all inhabited continents. We compare three types...

This study analyses the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) using a recursively dynamic global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, MAGNET. The study considers two policy measures: cuts in bilateral...

How do shifts in the global balance of power shape the world economy? We propose a theory of alignment-based “hegemonic globalization”, built on two central premises: countries differ in their preferences over policies (such as the rule of law or regulatory frameworks) and trade between any...

This paper examines the evolution of global merchandise trade, between 2010 and 2022, assessing the share of imports subject to regional trade agreements (RTAs). A key question for us is whether the share of merchandise trade subject to preferences has kept pace with the proliferation in RTAs....

The Mercosur countries which include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela have all shown rising interest on renewable energy as the follow. This change is occasioned by the desire to overcome the reliance of energy on fossil-based products and combat the impacts of climate change....

This paper explores the role of export-oriented firms in shaping regional economic development, with a focus on their operational footprint, strategic orientation, and interaction with institutional and infrastructural environments. Set within the broader context of regional competitiveness and...

After some 20 years, the negotiations on the EU Mercosur Association Agreement (EUMAA) were concluded in June 2019. Due to strong opposition by EU Member States as well as from trade unions and civil society organizations, in particular with respect to the lack of enforceable environmental...

Africa has contributed little to Climate Change (CC), though being hardest hit, especially African agriculture, both in the short-run (fast-onset events like droughts and floods) and in the long-run through lower productivity in agriculture (slow-onset events from warming). The paper starts with...

How do shifts in the global balance of power shape the world economy? We propose a theory of alignment-based “hegemonic globalization,” built on two central premises: countries differ in their preferences over policies (such as the rule of law or regulatory frameworks) and trade between any...

Using detailed global trade and novel Multi-Region Input-Output (MRIO) data, this paper examines the East African Community’s (EAC) global and regional integration through trade, global, and regional value chains (GVCs and RVCs). With surgical attention to detail, the first part of the paper...

This study examines the relative impacts of transport and information and communications technology (ICT) components of trade-related infrastructure on bilateral trade flows between Nigeria and its major trading partners. An augmented standard gravity model that featured variables for the...