Search results for "International Trade"
showing 10 items of 246 documents
The Theory of the Flying Geese Pattern of Development and Its Interpretations
1994
An interpretation is made of Akamatsu Kaname's theory of the flying geese pattern of development, launched in Japan during the 1930s. This theory explains how an undeveloped country can become developed relatively quickly. The undeveloped country adopts suitable labour-intensive industries from more developed countries. It produces first for the home market, but starts to export as soon as the industries have grown strong enough. Initially, products are simple, crude and cheap, but gradually the level of quality is elevated. The procedure is repeated over and over again, leading to a rapid process of national economic development. In Japanese postwar industrial policy, certain industries w…
Early modern trade flows between smaller states : the Portuguese-Swedish trade in the eighteenth century as an example
2015
The eighteenth century was a period of many great power wars and competition for colonies. However, despite the turmoil, smaller nations were able to carve their niches in the international trade of the period. Examination of new sources, used in a comparative fashion, indicates that bilateral trade still has much to offer for the analysis of international trade history. The pattern of bilateral trade between Sweden and Portugal indicates that they were not equally dependent on that trade, and that the products traded varied over time. Usually bulk commodities dominated this trade, as each country focused on its core competencies. Overall, the volume of trade and the number of ships travell…
Final Assessment of the EU-Africa Trade Deals—Ways Out?
2021
Based on the emerging country configurations (EPA groups) and the content of the EU-Africa trade arrangements, the chapter reviews the political impasse between the EU and Africa following the highly contested implementation start of the bi-regional trade agreements. Regional economic integration in Africa is considered to be in present danger with regard to the engendered fragmentation of main African RECs, namely the emerging customs unions. Suggestions are reviewed on how these and other North-South agreements can be either replaced by treaties that will be more beneficial for African countries and regions (‘grand alternatives’) or at least substantially improved (‘repair work’). New are…
On the African Continental Free Trade Area
2021
Africa-wide integration projects have competed with step-wise regional integration since independence. This chapter examines the new project of an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The project’s potential to become an economic game-changer for Africa is analysed alongside the likely pitfalls of the arrangement. We conclude that while a well-staged AfCFTA can resolve a number of critical issues associated with intra-African integration, it cannot replace existing RECs, especially not with respect to negotiating extra-regional trade agreements. It is argued that to avoid undercutting the entire process, the entrenched logic of exceptions and exclusions from tariff liberalization m…
The Reality of African Trade Integration—Challenges of Implementation
2021
In the course of their evolution on the stylized path of economic integration, African RECs face a number of implementation challenges, beginning with a range of typical domestication issues for trade agreements. A fundamental problem is that African regional trade arrangements (RTA) are all based on two GATT/WHO clauses which do not require full internal liberalization. The chapter analyses how RTA implementation on this basis has led to a general logic of exclusions and exemptions in Africa’s trade relations and traces how entrenched empirical practice meant to serve developmental purposes—protection of the weakest economic actors—often caters to vested interests. Inconsistency is aggrava…
Trade Liberalization and Heterogeneous Technology Investments
2015
We propose a trade model where heterogeneous firms decide on a productivity-enhancing technology investment. The model analyzes the impact of multilateral trade liberalization on firm- and industry-level productivity. Freer trade increases the incentives to invest in technology by raising export profits. It also dampens these incentives, however, as profits stemming from domestic sales are reduced. Only exporters benefit from the former positive effect. The shape of the distribution of efficiency draws, the level of trade costs and the technology intensity of the industry are key elements removing the ambiguities regarding the net impact of trade liberalization.
European Union's Competitiveness and Export Performance in Context of EU – Russia Political and Economic Sanctions
2015
Abstract This paper aims to explore performance of European Union's export in context of competitiveness targets enclosed in Europe 2020 strategy. Authors are addressing recent geo-political events regarding EU-Russia political and economic sanctions. Authors evaluate only economic results from sanctions and do not make an analysis of the nature of political sanctions. Paper gives an overview of the European Union trade performance within last 15 years and makes detailed analysis of the trade structure. Further, authors address European Union – Russia trade and nature of the trade. At the end of the article authors evaluate impact of the sanctions that took effect within a last year.
Impact on European Union Studies of the Developing EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreements with Third Countries: The Case of Canada
2015
The EU has signed an agreement in principle for a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada, the first of its kind for the EU, entering into force in 2015, opening a renewed market access strategy for the EU and has initiated negotiations with the USA.
Sub‐regional integration in the MENA region and the euro‐mediterranean free trade area
1999
The creation of a new Euro‐Mediterranean region in which to build a shared prosperity area requires existing North‐South economic integration to be complemented by South‐South trade liberalization. Trade links among the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries have remained at a very low level. There is room for greater commercial integration, although the scope for an increase in intra‐regional trade volume is limited. Trade liberalization could lead to a relocation of resources according to comparative advantage and to the growth of intra‐industry trade. However, some economic instruments are required both in order to allay political fears and in order to upgrade transport, communicat…
The land grabbing in the international scenario: the role of the EU in land grabbing
2016
The worldwide increase in population and consumption has produced a growing demand for food and energy in the rich and developing Countries. The resulting intensification of land investments, to cope with this need, has in many cases produced investments without transparency rules and it hasn't created real development for local people. The aim of this paper is to identify, through a cluster analysis, homogeneous groups of investor Countries in order to understand the role of the EU Member States in the context of land grabbing. The results show that the strategies adopted by the investors are driven by the need to achieve energy security and reduce CO2 emissions in order to cope with the p…