Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-09-21T14:14:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Eduardo Ledesma Al-Alam_.pdf: 233544 bytes, checksum: 8e97e55b0255cce4f24caadc4e00aa6b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-21T14:14:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eduardo Ledesma Al-Alam_.pdf: 233544 bytes, checksum: 8e97e55b0255cce4f24caadc4e00aa6b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-29 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A pobreza, embora tenha declinado nas últimas décadas, continua sendo um dos maiores desafios a serem enfrentados no século XXI. Este estudo investiga os efeitos da liberalização comercial sobre a pobreza em diferentes regiões em desenvolvimento do mundo. A análise ocorre de forma indireta, observando os impactos sobre a renda real e o bem-estar destas regiões. É utilizado o modelo de equilíbrio geral computável Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), sendo realizadas três simulações de liberalização comercial, buscando comparar os benefícios da abertura dos países desenvolvidos em relação à liberalização plena, com contrapartida dos países em desenvolvimento. Os resultados revelam que os ganhos de renda real e bem-estar das regiões em desenvolvimento são maiores quando elas próprias participam do processo de abertura ao lado das regiões desenvolvidas. As simulações vão ao encontro dos resultados de Hertel et al. (2009), em que a liberalização comercial realizada em todas as regiões se mostrou mais benéfica aos países mais pobres do que a liberalização comercial com ênfase apenas em países desenvolvidos, como é o caso da Rodada Doha. / Poverty, although declining in recent decades, remains one of the greatest challenges to be faced in the twenty-first century. This study investigates the effects of trade liberalization on poverty in different developing regions of the world. The analysis occurs indirectly, examining the impacts on real income and welfare of these regions. It used the model of computable general equilibrium Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), and held three trade liberalization simulations, to compare the benefits of the opening of developed countries with regard to full liberalization, with consideration for developing countries. The results show that the real income gains and welfare of developing regions are larger when they participate in the liberalization process together with the developed regions. The simulations are in line with the results of Hertel et al. (2009), in which trade liberalization carried out in all regions was more beneficial to the poorest countries that trade liberalization with emphasis in developed countries, such as the Doha Round.

許多策略性環境政策的相關文獻，大多在探討生產外部性的問題，較少著墨在消費的外部性，且在模型設定上，大多假設廠商生產同質性商品，因此本文將商品之差異性納入考量，在單邊貿易模型之下，建立一個兩階段賽局，來探討消費外部性的情況下，廠商與政府的策略性行為。而本文亦將貿易政策與環境政策做連結，探討當關稅因貿易自由化而調降時，對環境政策與環境品質的影響為何。 本研究發現：(1) 不論廠商的競爭型態為何，政府會將最適污染稅稅率訂在低於污染所造成的邊際環境損害之水準。(2) 不論廠商的競爭型態為何，貿易自由化會提升最適污染稅稅率。(3) 在廠商進行 Cournot 競爭時，貿易自由化將提升環境品質。(4) 在廠商進行 Bertrand 競爭時，關稅調降與否，須考量商品間的替代程度，在商品替代程度很低時，貿易自由化的結果將使環境品質向下沉淪。 / This thesis develops a two-stage game to investigate the strategies of government and firms concerning negative externalities associated with consumption. It also discusses the linkages between trade liberalization and environmental policy, namely, the effect of tariff reduction due to trade liberalization on environmental policy and environmental quality. Most of the literature on strategic environmental policy only considers negative externalities associated with production, but this thesis deals with negative externalities associated with consumption. Several conclusions emerge: First, the optimal pollution tax is less than the marginal pollution damage. Second, the environmental tax increases as a consequence of a tariff reduction. Third, if firms compete in terms of quantity, environmental quality could be improved by liberalizing trade. Finally, if firms compete in terms of price, when the degree of goods substitutability is low, trade liberalization may lead to a “race to the bottom” in environmental quality.

<p>How affected are the sugar production in Mozambique and Tanzania by EU sugar regime? What does the EU sugar reform constitute in these countries?</p><p>Using theories regarding free trade and anti-free trade, I am able to answer these questions. The aim of this paper is to study how the various sugar agreements with EU affect the sugar production in Mozambique and Tanzania. Therefore I am using a method called a most similar system design in this comparative case study. The conclusion is that the EU sugar regime is the main reason to how the sugar productions in developing countries are. This conclusion is drawn since the difference in their developed sugar production is based on the importance of an advantageous sugar agreement. This can be applied to the case in Tanzania, which had a higher sugar export when the country had an advantageous sugar agreement with EU. Now when the trade has been more liberalized with the sugar reform the country does not have the same advantageous agreements with EU and the sugar export has been smaller. Compared to Tanzania Mozambique has had a better development in their sugar production, since their trade agreements with EU is better today than before 2001.</p>

This thesis consists of three independent papers, ordered chronologically with respect to when they were initiated. Empirical research has established that there are large and persistent productivity differences among firms in narrowly defined industries (Bartelsman and Doms, 2000). Other studies, in particular Bernard and Jensen (1999), have shown the existence of a causal link running from ex-ante firm productivity to export decisions. Furthermore, exposure to trade has been found to enhance growth opportunities only for some firms, reallocating market shares and resources toward the more productive ones and contributing thus to aggregate productivity growth (Clerides, Lach and Tybout, 1998; Bernard and Jensen, 2004). These findings have led to the development of new theoretical models emphasizing the interaction between firm heterogeneity and fixed market entry costs in generating international trade and inducing aggregate productivity growth. The first and third chapters of this thesis extend the framework developed by Melitz (2003) to analyze the implications of  firm heterogeneity for old and new issues in international trade. The first paper studies the effect of trade liberalization between countries that differ in their relative endowment of skilled workers when growth-promoting R&amp;D activities are skill intensive with respect to goods production. In particular, the analysis focuses on the changes that falling trade costs induce on consumer welfare and on the number of firms active in the different markets. The third paper uses the heterogeneous firm framework to study the interaction between financial constraints and the market entry behavior of firms. It also analyzes whether the impact of trade liberalization on average firm productivity and on individual welfare is affected by the presence of credit frictions. The second chapter presents an empirical work that contributes to the recent but fast growing literature that studies how different institutions and their level of development affect countries comparative advantage. The analysis presented in this paper focuses on the role of legal and financial institution in driving the specialization in contract-intensive goods and on how the degree of institutional development interacts with the propensity of firms to vertical integrate with their suppliers. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan i Stockholm, 2011

<p>The impact of trade policies on the pursuit of gender equality is often ignored. Recognising the link between trade and gender, this dissertation aims to enhance the capacity of policy-makers to mainstream gender in trade policy and to help identify ways for using trade to respond to women&rsquo / s needs in South Africa. In order to meet this objective, it analyses the impacts that trade liberalisation has had on the economy and on gender in general and in South Africa in particular. In addition, it evaluates the impacts on men and women in order to see if trade has contributed to reducing, accentuating or perpetuating gender inequality in South Africa. Findings have confirmed that Trade liberalisation has had both positive and negative impacts on women and men. But, they have also demonstrated that trade liberalisation has affected women and men differently having negative influences on the pursuit of gender equality. The research has, however, concluded that the impact of trade liberalisation on the pursuit of gender equality is influenced by other key factors. As strategy to mainstream gender in trade policies, the research suggests that policy-makers should analyse the implications for women and men of any trade policy before adopting such policy. This analysis would help him/her to see the possible imbalances of the new policy and implement policies and programmes to eradicate them. Also, it will help him/her to identify possible ways for using trade to empower women. The research is based on the idea that the elimination of the existing inequalities will put women at the same stage with men and will, therefore, contribute to women&rsquo / s empowerment in South Africa.</p>

For decades, institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, WTO, OECD, US Congress, and EU have encouraged developing countries to adopt trade liberalization to improve their people's welfare and eventually achieve developed country status. In a comparative analysis to examine trade liberalization's impact on labor, this study found that while Chile and Mexico pursued very similar trade liberalization policies, their outcomes were extraordinarily different. Chile now holds the title as the world's model liberalizer while Mexico continues to struggle to liberalize. Chile's effective use of government intervention to absorb adjustment costs determined its success. This study challenges trade theory's dogma against government intervention and concludes with explicit strategies for hoe developing countries can enact targeted social programs and measures to absorb trade liberalization's painful adjustment costs. Trade liberalization can bring prosperity and opportunities for a country, as long as it is paired with effective government intervention to absorb a degree of adjustment costs.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have a long history of trading with each other. They are economic partners as well as competitors for many years. In order to push their economic relationship to a higher level, in November 2002, ASEAN and China signed the initial framework agreement, determined on establishing the ASEAN - China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) among the eleven countries by 2010 for the ASEAN-6 (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) and by 2015 for the transitional economies of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (the CLMV). There are fears that China’s rapid development recently will encourage ASEAN’s exports to flow into its giant domestic market instead of among the members countries. Also the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement are still unclear. The Thesis uses three gravity models and the panel data of 11 countries from 1992 to 2009 to test two hypotheses: trade diversion (that expanded trade with China will reduce intra-trade within ASEAN) and trade creation (that ACFTA will boost up bilateral trade between ASEAN and China).

<p>The impact of trade policies on the pursuit of gender equality is often ignored. Recognising the link between trade and gender, this dissertation aims to enhance the capacity of policy-makers to mainstream gender in trade policy and to help identify ways for using trade to respond to women&rsquo / s needs in South Africa. In order to meet this objective, it analyses the impacts that trade liberalisation has had on the economy and on gender in general and in South Africa in particular. In addition, it evaluates the impacts on men and women in order to see if trade has contributed to reducing, accentuating or perpetuating gender inequality in South Africa. Findings have confirmed that Trade liberalisation has had both positive and negative impacts on women and men. But, they have also demonstrated that trade liberalisation has affected women and men differently having negative influences on the pursuit of gender equality. The research has, however, concluded that the impact of trade liberalisation on the pursuit of gender equality is influenced by other key factors. As strategy to mainstream gender in trade policies, the research suggests that policy-makers should analyse the implications for women and men of any trade policy before adopting such policy. This analysis would help him/her to see the possible imbalances of the new policy and implement policies and programmes to eradicate them. Also, it will help him/her to identify possible ways for using trade to empower women. The research is based on the idea that the elimination of the existing inequalities will put women at the same stage with men and will, therefore, contribute to women&rsquo / s empowerment in South Africa.</p>

Negli anni ’80, paesi in via di sviluppo (DCs) e paesi meno sviluppati (PMS) hanno subito cambiamenti strutturali, muovendosi da politiche di sostituzione di importazione a strategie di liberalizzazione. Questi paesi hanno assistito ad una crescita dinamica risultata dall’aumento della produttività dovuto alla maggiore esposizione delle industrie locali alla concorrenza, dall'aumento delle importazioni tecnologiche incarnate in capitale e in beni intermedi, e ad una maggiore diffusione di conoscenze e informazioni. Questo lavoro esamina come liberalizzazione commerciale ed aggiornamento tecnologico abbiano influito sull’occupazione in paesi DCs e PMS, e studia il fenomeno del cambiamento tecnologico skill biased. Si esaminano il settore manifatturiero turco tra il 1980-2001 e quello etiope tra il 1996-2004. Questo studio, basato sul System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM-SYS), implementa un quadro dinamico di due equazioni che raffigurano tendenze occupazionali a livello enterprise per lavoratori qualificati e non qualificati. I risultati confermano l'aspettativa teorica che DCs e LDC affrontano fenomeni di skill-biased technological change e incrementano il potere d’importazione di tecnologia, aumentando il divario d’occupazione tra lavoratori qualificati e non qualificati. Tuttavia, le cause specifiche di skill-bias e la portata del loro effetto possono variare in base a diverse infrastrutture istituzionali e capacità nazionali. / In the 1980's developing countries (DCs) and least developed countries (LDCs) underwent structural changes, moving from import substitution policies to liberalization strategies. These countries witnessed a dynamic growth effect that emerges from productivity growth due to increased exposure of local industries to competition, increased technological imports embodied in capital and intermediate goods, and to the transfer of knowledge. This work looks into the employment impact of trade liberalization and technological upgrading in DCs and LDCs, and studies the phenomenon of skill biased technological change in those countries. It takes the case of the Turkish manufacturing sector for the period 1980 - 2001, and the case of the Ethiopian manufacturing sector for the period 1996 - 2004. It deploys System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM-SYS) procedure to this effect, implementing a two-equation dynamic framework that depicts enterprise-level employment trends separately for skilled and unskilled workers. The results confirm the theoretical expectation that DCs and LDCs face the phenomena of skill-biased technological change and skill-enhancing technology import, both leading to increasing the employment gap between skilled and unskilled workers. However, the specific determinants of skill bias and the size of their effect can differ due to diverse institutional infrastructures and national capabilities.

The increasing frequency and economic losses from natural disasters within the framework of decreasing agricultural prices and trade liberalization is becoming crucial in increasing poverty in the Mexican rural economy. During the past two decades, the governmental withdrawal from supporting the agricultural sector with investments in physical, financial and logistic instruments continues to stress agricultural livelihoods, as current private mechanisms have not replaced them effectively. It has contributed to making the agricultural sector particularly vulnerable to a number of hazards as it has weakened economic agents' response and impeded assets accumulation. This dissertation identifies economic vulnerability to natural and economic hazards in order to assess public and private coping capacity, and provides a conceptual framework and economic theory that supports the overall approach and employed methodologies. It is based on quantitative and qualitative research methods, and makes use of econometric analysis and stakeholders' views aimed at finding feasible solutions. Further, this dissertation offers a spatial model that can support policy-decision-making for the creation of differential investments in productive infrastructure, as well as financial instruments to reduce current vulnerability and poverty throughout the national territory. During the past two decades, over 80% of total economic losses from weather-related disasters occurred in the agricultural sector. In the same period, mean weighted agricultural prices have decreased over 50% in real terms, and since 1996 a trade deficit has persisted in this sector. Currently, the insufficient credit access, low coverage of crop insurance, as well as the near lack of investments to expand irrigation and further productive infrastructure is sharpening the vulnerability of rural livelihoods. These facts explain why this sector produces only 4% of the GDP despite employing over 20% of the national workforce. These facts undermine farmers' expectations of future incomes within the community, stimulating rural-urban out migration, which usually cannot be absorbed by the urban economy in sight of the modest industrial dynamism of the recent years. This leads to the enlargement of the informal sector in large cities and migratory flows to abroad, among others. (author's abstract)