The following dissertation is a collection of four stand-alone research papers. The focus of my research is on the interplay of immigration, native human-capital investment and the resulting consequences for the labour market outcome of natives and necessary implications for the immigration...

The lack of adequate transportation infrastructure in Brazil has been a bottleneck for thesoybean producers for many years. Moreover, the costly inland transportation incurredfrom this bottleneck has resulted in a loss in competitiveness for Brazil compared toother exporting countries,...

The lack of adequate transportation infrastructure in Brazil has been a bottleneck for thesoybean producers for many years. Moreover, the costly inland transportation incurredfrom this bottleneck has resulted in a loss in competitiveness for Brazil compared toother exporting countries,...

The potential introduction of genetically modified (GM) wheat has both supporters and opponents waging battle in the popular press and scholarly research. Supporters highlight the benefits to producers, while the opponents highlight the unknown safety factors for consumers.The topic is very...

A spatial equilibrium model based on a quadratic programming algorithm was developed to analyze world feed barley trade and international competition among major exporters (Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United States) under the current and alternative trade policy scenarios. The...

It has been hypothesized that differentially applied environmental regulations create pollution havens, as firms will choose to invest in countries with lax environmental standards. Using a theoretical model of pest control adoption and an empirical spatial equilibrium model, we examine one such...

Asian gypsy and nun moth introductions into the United States, possibly arriving on imported Siberian coniferous logs, threaten domestic forests and product markets and could have global market consequences. We simulate, using the Global Forest Products Model (a spatial equilibrium model of the...

The Government of Vietnam (GoV) has planned increased self-sufficiency in terms of the domestic production of wood and wood-processing products. For example, by 2010 the forestry industry could supply approximately enough raw materials for the wood-processing industry, including 100% of raw...

By using a broker, the owner of a house can speed up his search for buyers but must pay a percentage of the sale price as a commission. Nonstationarities inherent in the housing market may make it optimal to market a house “by-owner” at the outset and to retain a broker only if the house...