This paper introduces habit formation into an otherwise standard model of international trade. Household tastes evolve over time to favor foods consumed as a child. The opening of trade causes preferred goods to rise in price, as these were relatively inexpensive in autarky. Neglecting the...

This paper introduces habit formation into an otherwise standard model of international trade. Household tastes evolve over time to favor foods consumed as a child. The opening of trade causes preferred goods to rise in price, as these were relatively inexpensive in autarky. Neglecting the...

By reducing the negative correlation between local prices and productivity shocks, trade liberalization changes the volatility of returns. In this paper, we explore the second moment effects of trade. Using forty years of agricultural micro-data from India, we show that falling trade costs...

By reducing the negative correlation between local prices and productivity shocks, trade liberalization changes the volatility of returns. In this paper, we explore the second moment effects of trade. Using forty years of agricultural micro-data from India, we show that falling trade costs...

This chapter (to appear in the forthcoming Handbook of International Economics, Vol. 5) develops a framework with which to interpret and survey answers to the question: how does increased openness affect aggregate welfare in a typical developing country? We decompose answers into four...

New goods play a central role in many trade and growth models. We use detailed trade and firm-level data from India to investigate the relationship between declines in trade costs, imports of intermediate inputs and domestic firm product scope. We estimate substantial gains from trade through...