Master of Arts / Department of Economics / Peri da Silva / Rose (2004) reports that GATT/WTO membership produces no positive effects on international trade. This is a remarkable determination given the widespread belief in academic and policy circles that the WTO successfully promotes trade flows by reducing barriers to international trade. Empirical literature measuring the GATT/WTO trade effects has produced notably diverse results since Rose's (2004) paper. This report introduces the history of GATT/WTO and describes the GATT/WTO’s aim to promote trade using multilateral rounds of trade negotiations. It confirms that the efforts toward trade liberalization made by the GATT/WTO are partially achieved by tariff reductions and other trade obligations. In discussing the literature related to Rose’s surprising results, we argue that the gravity model employed by Rose (2004) is not theoretically sound since it omits multilateral resistance terms and fails to capture unobserved bilateral heterogeneity. However, we find that even an accurate specification gravity model that controls multilateral resistance, unobserved bilateral heterogeneity, and individual regional trade agreement effect cannot fully account for Rose’s GATT/WTO trade effects findings. The present report suggests that a new approach, specifically the nonparametric method used by Chang and Lee (2011), may offer sound guidance for future research attempting to understand Rose’s mysterious findings.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between China's investment in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) and China-CEECs trade. Since the 1950s, the research on the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign trade has become one of the topics of theoretical and empirical analysis. Many scholars have conducted extensive studies on the relationship between FDI and trade from different perspectives and theoretical and empirical perspectives. Under the background of "the Belt and Road", the CEECs, as important trading partners in this strategy, have gradually expanded their trade with China. This paper explores the current situation and characteristics of China's direct investment and trade with the CEECs from the perspective of the relationship between FDI and foreign trade. The development of China's direct investment and trade with the CEECs is explored from the perspectives of total volume, country, and products by qualitative analysis. Meanwhile, the trade gravity model is established to empirically analyze the influence of China's direct investment in the CEECs on China-CEECs trade scale from the three aspects of total trade volume, export, and import. The results show that China's direct investment in the CEECs has a long-term positive effect on the scale of...

Lam Man Ling. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT CHINESE --- p.iv / ENGLISH --- p.v / ACKNOWLEGEMENT --- p.vi / LISTS OF TABLES --- p.vii / LISTS OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.viii / LISTS OF APPENDICES --- p.xi / CHAPTER / Chapter ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- The Arguments for the Existence of the J- Curve --- p.4 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Arguments against the Existence of the J-Curve --- p.7 / Chapter THREE --- THE STUDY OF J-CURVE EFFECT ON THE TRADE BALANCE --- p.10 / Chapter 3.1 --- The Methodology and Model --- p.10 / Chapter 3.2 --- Data Description --- p.14 / Chapter 3.3 --- Empirical Analysis on VAR Models by Using Level Data --- p.15 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- The Combinations of Variables in Twelve Models --- p.15 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Empirical Results Analysis on Both Univariate and VAR Approach --- p.19 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Individual Model Description --- p.22 / Chapter 3.4 --- Empirical Analysis on VAR Models by Using Differenced Data --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Zivot-Andrews (ZA) Unit Root Test --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- The Comparison of Empirical Results on Using the Level and Differenced Data --- p.33 / Chapter 3.5 --- The Comparison of the Elasticity at Means of Japan and Singapore by Using the Previous Empirical Results --- p.35 / Chapter FOUR --- THE PATTERN OF POST-ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS TRADE BALANCE --- p.39 / Chapter 4.1 --- Hong Kong --- p.40 / Chapter 4.2 --- Indonesia --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3 --- Japan --- p.42 / Chapter 4.4 --- Malaysia --- p.44 / Chapter 4.5 --- The Philippines --- p.45 / Chapter 4.6 --- Singapore --- p.46 / Chapter 4.7 --- South Korea --- p.48 / Chapter 4.8 --- Taiwan --- p.49 / Chapter 4.9 --- Thailand --- p.50 / Chapter FIVE --- CONCLUSION --- p.52 / APPENDICES --- p.53 / ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.67 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.78

The research problem addressed in this study was to establish how small- to medium-sized furniture manufacturing businesses could develop a technology strategy that would improve their competitiveness. Therefore, the primary objective of this research study was to develop a technology-strategy framework for small- to medium-sized furniture manufacturers to assist them to improve their competitiveness. Research has indicated that small- to medium-sized furniture manufacturers have the potential to contribute to South Africa‟s economic growth, job creation and gross domestic product. However, research has also indicated that small- to medium-sized furniture manufacturing industries have not kept up with technology developments and, as a result, competiveness is on the decline. Low-technology businesses, such as those found within the furniture manufacturing industry, often have no framework or methodology to guide the successful acquisition and integration of technology to enable a more competitive business. The main problem was addressed in three phases. Firstly, a literature review of strategy and technology-related factors was conducted which provided valuable insight into the development of a strategic framework. This included identification of the business strategy, external and internal factors influencing technology requirements, technology integration, -selection and criterion for competitiveness. Secondly, an empirical study consisting of both a quantitative and qualitative investigation was performed. The quantitative measuring instrument used was a questionnaire designed from the literature study information and was administered to a stratified sample of small- to medium-sized furniture manufacturers. The quantitative results were triangulated by qualitative interviews with selected respondents. The empirical results revealed a strong relationship between technology and competitiveness (as measured by business performance and technology- iv competitive advantage), thereby confirming the importance of technology utilisation for small- to medium-sized furniture manufacturers and the significance of developing a technology-strategy framework. Thirdly, by combining the literature study information and findings from the empirical investigation, the technology-strategy framework was developed. The technology-strategy framework provides a roadmap to integrate technology with the business strategy. The technology-strategy framework is used in three phases, firstly, the business strategy is identified, secondly, the technology-strategy framework provides a guide to identify and forecast technology, conduct an internal audit and identify technology that can execute the business strategy. The final phase is the application of criteria by means of which competitiveness improvement is assessed. Ultimately, the technology-strategy framework can facilitate improved competitiveness of the furniture industry.