This paper develops a method to measure difficulties in market access over a large set of countries (both developing and developed) and industries, during the period 1980-2006. We use a micro-founded heterogeneous-consumers model to estimate the impact of national borders on global and regional...

Purpose – This paper aims to exploit a new trade database to explore the extent to which trade, and the industrial division of labor which it represents, is regional in nature. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis focuses especially on intermediates trade, in three key regions – the...

Purpose – The fact that many international companies remain strongly orientated towards their home region has been highlighted in the work of several international business scholars. This work has given rise to the concept of “the liability of inter-regional foreignness”. This paper aims...

With increasing sophistication, economists have been estimating gravity equations for five decades. Robust evidence shows that borders and distance impede trade by much more than tariffs or transport costs can explain. We therefore advocate investigation of other sources of resistance, despite...