We show that plurilateral agreements facilitate global tariff liberalization by creating an MFN-based margin of cooperation that leaves preferential access via preferential trade agreements (PTAs) unchanged. In a model of endogenous trade agreement formation with farsighted governments, PTAs...

We show that plurilateral agreements facilitate global tariff liberalization by creating an MFN-based margin of cooperation that leaves preferential access via preferential trade agreements (PTAs) unchanged. In a model of endogenous trade agreement formation with farsighted governments, PTAs...

• we analyze plurilateral trade agreements that liberalize trade in particular products among a range of countries • the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) covers around 12% of global trade • our theory shows that such agreements can be a way forward for multilateral liberalization in...

This paper quantifies potential costs of issue linkage examining trade preferences granted under the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Preferential market access via US GSP is conditional on political practices by beneficiaries. Using monthly import data, I study trade policy...

This paper examines the evolution of global merchandise trade, between 2010 and 2022, assessing the share of imports subject to regional trade agreements (RTAs). A key question for us is whether the share of merchandise trade subject to preferences has kept pace with the proliferation in RTAs....

The Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle has historically been instrumental in promoting stability and equitable trade conditions. In recent decades there has been a rise in bilateral and regional trade agreements, which deviate from the MFN principle in providing more favourable tariff...

How does dismantling deep integration affect international trade? This paper provides new evidence on the consequences of disintegration by estimating the impact of Brexit on goods trade by UK firms. The UK’s exit from the EU’s single market and customs union in January 2021 led to an...

This paper examines whether non-binding ("soft") AI-related provisions in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) move trade and how their effects compare with binding ("hard") provisions. The motivation is straightforward: digital rules are spreading quickly, but legal enforceability is uneven. We...

International trade increases aggregate welfare but also creates winners and losers, which makes free trade a contentious political issue. Recent research has established that individuals are more sensitive to anti-trade information about the prospect of employment loss than to pro-trade...

Access to critical raw materials (CRMs) is increasingly being shaped by geopolitical dynamics, fuelling a global competition for supply security. This paper applies the gravity model of trade to examine how OECD countries leverage Aid for Trade (AfT), Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), and...

This paper examines whether non-binding ("soft") AI-related provisions in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) move trade and how their effects compare with binding ("hard") provisions. The motivation is straightforward: digital rules are spreading quickly, but legal enforceability is uneven. We...

The current crisis in the international trading system has led many to ask whether Asia can succeed where the WTO has failed. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility of stronger regional trade ties as a result of the turmoil in the WTO. It is argued that, given its size and...

"This book is for students, experts, government officials, business representatives and civil society interested in a balanced and rigorous assessment on the role of preferential trade agreements in Latin America"--

This paper examines the evolution of global merchandise trade, between 2010 and 2022, assessing the share of imports subject to regional trade agreements (RTAs). A key question for us is whether the share of merchandise trade subject to preferences has kept pace with the proliferation in RTAs....

The Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle has historically been instrumental in promoting stability and equitable trade conditions. In recent decades there has been a rise in bilateral and regional trade agreements, which deviate from the MFN principle in providing more favourable tariff...

The European Union (EU) supports developing countries with a unilateral trade preference scheme. The scheme underwent a major reform in 2014, in which many countries lost access to reduced tariff rates. We analyse how this radical step that removed preferences from 103 countries by 2018 fits...

The magnitude of returns to colonial-era investments in Africa has been addressed in an extensive literature, as have the nature and legacies of extractive colonial institutions. However, the link between these institutions and the profitability of firms remains unclear. We reconstruct the...

The project objective is to assess CSO participation in the EU-SADC EPA signed in 2016 and offer recommendations to enhance CSO roles. The EPA focuses on trade and economic cooperation. Despite its potential, CSO involvement in the SADC region has been minimal. As a result of the inception...

The project objective is to assess CSO participation in the EU-SADC EPA signed in 2016 and offer recommendations to enhance CSO roles. The EPA focuses on trade and economic cooperation. Despite its potential, CSO involvement in the SADC region has been minimal. As a result of the inception...