The paper explores theoretically and empirically why trade intermediaries (TIs) are frequently used as agents for exports to some countries but not to others. We adapt a standard intra-industry trade model with variable export costs (e.g. transport) and fixed export costs (e.g. market access) to...

In this paper we study the determinants of international migration to Germany, 1967-2000. The empirical literature on macro-economic migration functions usually explains migration flows by a set of explanatory variables such as the income differential, employment rates, and migrations stocks as...

The volume and commodity structure of EU trade with the transition countries in central and eastern Europe (CEECs) is estimated on the assumption that it will follow the pattern of trade among market economies. A gravity-type approach at the level of product groups is used, combining geography...

Since the inequality of earnings in East Germany has approached West German levels in the late 1990s, the standard Roy model predicts that a positive selection bias of East-West migrants should disappear. Using a switching regression model and data from the IABemployment sample, we find however...

This paper addresses German energy policy instruments and their compatibility with WTO rules. Germany and the EU are forerunners in international climate change policy and driving forces behind the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. German energy policy includes approaches to foster electricity generation...

Empirical evidence from French exporters presented in this paper shows that the vast majority of firms follow a strategy of market concentration when market numbers or a combination of market numbers and the share of the key markets is used as an indicator. These results are at odds with many...

This paper explores the mechanisms by which economic integration leads to increased trade between new and old member states of the EC. Theoretical considerations imply that the increase in the export value should, to a large extent, be due to new exporters entering new markets. Moreover, small...

The Ricardian model is often considered of limited use and scope for the explanation of trade flows, as it cannot account for various important aspects of real world trade such as innovation goods or intra-industry trade. This is basically due to the fact that the Ricardian model is usually...