We develop a model to study the behavior of firms in a Free Trade Area with Rules of Origin and the consequences of this behavior on the market equilibrium and outcome. We show that firms will choose to specialize, and that an FTA with strict ROOs on the intermediate good raises imports and...

In a situation where tariff reforms are being negotiated between two parties, one of which aims to raise its exports and the other aims to raise its welfare, tariff cuts must be in the interest of at least one party. It is possible for the interests of the two sides to conflict. Conflict is...

While it is tempting to think of Free Trade Areas (FTAs) as liberalizing, they need not be. One reason for this is a relatively less studied feature of FTAs, namely Rules of Origin (ROOs) which determine when products are eligible for preferential treatment. We develop a model to study the...

We study a Free Trade Area with Rules of Origin and show that there are two distinct regimes. Comparative statics results for the two regimes are exact opposites and a regime switch occurs when ROO become restrictive enough. Consequently, imports into the FTA of the intermediate good first fall...