This paper focuses on two issues that challenge the accepted pessimistic view that regional trade agreements (RTAs) between developing countries in welfare terms by taking into account scale economies in transport. First, how is the standard welfare analysis of an RTA affected by the endogeneity...

This paper uses a gravity model to assess ex-post regional trade agreements. The model includes 130 countries and is estimated in panel over the period 1962-96. The introduction of the correct number of dummy variables allows for identification of Vinerian trade creation and trade diversion...