The major aim of this thesis is to analyze the impact of structural change of exports and technology level on the international competitiveness. In order to analyze international competitiveness, export market shares are used. The empirical analysis suggested in this thesis includes two steps. In the first step, constant market share analysis is conducted to understand the causes of changes in export market shares from one period to another and in the second step a difference generalized method of moments model is proposed for 44 manufacturing sectors, which are classified with respect to their technology intensities, over 2003- 2008 period. The results are highly sensitive to the technology intensity of sectors.

Candidate thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Wood products all require treatment to mitigate phytosanitary risk prior to exportation. The most common phytosanitary treatment applied to Pinus radiata logs is Methyl Bromide (MeBr). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2010 stated that MeBr must not be release into the atmosphere past 2020. This poses a problem for New Zealand log exports. Radiation has been identified as a possible alternative phytosanitary treatment for export wood products. This study aimed to quantify the effective dose of radiation necessary to sterilise two forest pest species; Arhopalus ferus and Hylurgus ligniperda. These species are representative of two different types of forestry pests; bark beetles (H. ligniperda) and wood borers (A. ferus). All applicable life stages for both species were tested. Arhopalus ferus adults were the most susceptible life stage identified with an LD99 of 30.2Gy ± 13.5 Gy (95% confidence interval). Arhopalus ferus eggs were less susceptible with a LD99 of 750Gy ± 776Gy observed; however there is low confidence in this result due to a methodological issue in one treatment replicate. Hylurgus ligniperda eggs were observed to be less susceptible than A. ferus eggs with a LD99 of 289Gy ± 92Gy. Results for the other life stages were inconclusive due to poor control survival, however the information gained was used to develop improved methods for further experimentation, which is on-going and showing positive results so far. The results of this experiment have indicated that radiation can be an effective method of sterilising forestry pests. To date radiation has not been used as phytosanitary risk mitigation for wood exports; however it is widely used for risk mitigation in agricultural products. Currently there remains a large amount of unknown information regarding, the effectiveness for irradiation of logs, the effective dose require for sterilisation of the most tolerant forestry pest and public acceptability of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment. These knowledge gaps and an economic assessment must be completed before irradiation can be used as a phytosanitary risk mitigation technique for forestry products.

The liberalizing economic reforms that began under Fujimori in the 1990s have had a profound impact on primary production processes throughout the country of Peru. In the northern coastal region of La Libertad, such reforms have rearranged the physical landscape for the cultivation of nontraditional exports and have as a result altered internal migration mechanisms that provide abundant and cheap labor to domestic and multinational corporations operating on the coast. The downward pressures on labor have been acute as Peru competes for investment on a global scale with other developing countries. Organized resistance in response to poor working conditions and an inadequate regulatory framework has made few tangible gains over the years despite widespread discontent among agribusiness workers. Looking at the macro-level economic framework and national legislation, ethnic divisions of labor and task specification, as well as internal corporate practices that dissuade union affiliation, this study will examine the factors that have limited union organizing in northern Peruvian agribusiness the role of corporations, specifically that of Camposol, in community and regional development. / text

This dissertation consists of three essays in International Trade. The first essay studies the impact of changing tariffs on the range of goods countries export to the United States. The empirical analysis shows that tariffs tend to have a statistically significant but small impact: at best 5 percent of the increasing extensive margin for 1989-1999 and 12 percent for 1996-2006 is explained by tariff reductions. This suggests the extensive margin has not amplified the impact of tariffs on trade flows to such an extent that the relatively moderate tariff reductions since WW II can explain the strong growth of world trade. The second essay investigates the sector and country determinants of the range of goods that countries export to the United States. Besides relating the traditional determinants of comparative advantage, sectors’ factor intensities interacted with countries’ factor abundance to the extensive margin in a sector, the empirical investigation includes interactions between sector-level measures of intermediate intensity and trade frictions. Consistent with hypotheses about fragmentation, the results show that closer countries and countries with lower tariffs imposed on them export a wider range of goods in sectors that have large intermediate cost shares. The impact of trade frictions is, however, far less pronounced for the more skilled-labor intensive sectors that are characterized by use of a greater range of intermediates. The third essay studies the impact of trade liberalizations on U.S. bilateral trade from 1989-2001 with a focus on the influence of exporting country liberalizations which matter when exports are produced with imported intermediates. Guided by extensions of the Eaton and Kortum (2002) model which allows for production to involve the use of imported intermediates, the essay estimates a structural equation that links U.S. bilateral trade flows to both intermediate tariffs imposed by countries exporting to the United States and U.S. tariffs. The empirical estimates suggest that especially for less developed countries their own liberalizations have been quantitatively much more important in explaining bilateral trade growth with an effect 3 times larger than the impact of U.S. liberalizations. / text

Η παρούσα πτυχιακή εργασία έχει ως αντικείμενο μελέτης τη διερεύνηση των παραγόντων που αποτελούν την επιλογή των κριτηρίων της χώρας εξαγωγής του βιολογικού ελαιολάδου. Στόχος είναι να εξετάσουμε την πορεία του βιολογικού ελαιολάδου κατά τη διάρκεια των χρόνων, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη μας τις παραμέτρους που βοήθησαν ή αποτέλεσαν ανασταλτικό παράγοντα όσον αφορά την επιλογή τόπου, χρόνου και χώρας εξαγωγής. / The present paper studies all the factors that combine to make somebody choose the country to export bio olive oil. Our goal is to define the exact evolution of bio olive oil exports throughout the years, taking into account all the circumstances that boosted them or opposed to them, depending on the place, time and country of export.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and analyze the effect of exchange rate volatility between the euro and the Mexican peso on the exports from the first eleven euro area countries (EA-11) to Mexico. The ten product groups recognized by the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) are dealt with separately in identifying the influence of exchange rate volatility on the exports. Aggregated data for exchange rates and trade between 1999 and 2008 are analyzed using regressions. In addition to the exchange rate volatility, the variables included in the analysis are: the industrial production index (IPI) of the EA-11 countries, the IPI for Mexico, the nominal exchange rate between the two currencies, the consumer price index (CPI) in Mexico and the harmonized indices of consumer prices (HICPs) for the EA-11. The reaction of trade to exchange rate volatility is a fundamental issue in macroeconomics. It has taken more importance in the recent decades as the scope of international transactions has expanded and the economic activity of one country affects other countries. There have been several studies about the relation between the exchange rate volatility and its influence on trade that have arrived to different results. The conclusion of this thesis is that the exchange rate volatility has a positive and highly significant effect in the exports of only one of the ten evaluated product groups.

This dissertation contains three papers that contribute to the theory of international trade, political economy, and trade and environmental protection. The first paper develops a model to examine the costs and benefits of trade in differentiated products. It focuses on how relative ability in exporting variety between two countries determines economic welfare in both countries. The results shed light on the question of why export-promotion programs in many countries aim not only to help their existing exporting firms export more, but also to help domestic firms become new exporting firms or enter new foreign markets. The paper also discusses the possibility of over-provision of export variety and raises some questions regarding the benefits of trade in differentiated products. The second paper suggests some coherent explanations for tariff reductions and substitution of non-tariff barriers for tariffs, taking into account both organized special interests and unorganized consumer interests. It focuses on how the presence of informed consumers affects the political equilibrium choice of trade policy - both the level of protection and the policy instrument. The paper identifies three effects that interact with each other as an incumbent government substitutes a NTB for a tariff and finds, among other things, that an increase in foreign competition will not cause the government to substitute NTBs for tariffs but a rise in the government's valuation of political contributions might. The third paper shows that small or financially constrained environmentalist groups can compete indirectly through changing public preferences over environmental quality, though they may be in a weak position relative to polluting industries in the direct competition for political influence. It is also shown, however, that in a small open economy where the output price is exogenously determined, the value of domestic persuasion falls and government environmental policies will be determined by direct political competition. Moreover, direct competition for political influence in the open economy becomes more intense because positions of different groups on environmental policy become more extreme. The analysis also shows that moving to free trade would increase a country's environmental protection as long as the median voter were not very 'green'.

Euroregionai Europoje egzistuoja jau nuo šeštojo XX a. dešimtmečio. Tačiau universalios euroregiono sampratos dar nėra. Pateikiamuose euroregiono apibrėžimuose aiškiai pabrėžiama, kad tai struktūros, turinčios teritorinį apibrėžtumą. Svarbus aspektas – euroregioną sudarančių narių lygybė bei teisinis pamatas, reglamentuojantis veiklą. Euroregionų skirtingumui įtakos turi įkūrimo tikslų bei uždavinių įvairumas, veiklos prioritetų nevienodumas. Magistro darbe siekiama supažindinti su euroregionų veikla bei vystymuisi nuo 2000 iki 2008 metų. Pagrindinis tyrimo aspektas – makroekonominių rodiklių kaitos dinamika ir išsivystymo skirtumai skirtingose teritorijose esančiuose euroregionuose. Analizuojam bendrosios pridėtinės vertės (BPV), bendrojo vidaus produkto (BVP), materialinių investicijų, tiesioginių užsienio investicijų, ir eksporto rodikliai euroregionuose. Tyrimu siekiama statistiškai pagrįsti objekto (šiuo atveju euroregiono) esminius požymius, jo funkcionavimo veiksnius. Euroregionas pateikiamas kaip vientisa sudėtinga sistema turinti begalę trūkumų, kurių pagrindinis – daugiamatiškumas. Darbe siekiama kuo labiau atsiriboti nuo istorinio ir socialinio konteksto ir rezultatus pateikti tik ekonominiame kontekste. Magistro darbas parašytas naudojantis aprašomaisiais, statistinių ir kitų šaltinių analizės bei grafiniu metodais. / Euregions in Europe there is already the sixth of the twentieth century decade. However, the universal concept of the Euroregion yet. Submissions Euroregion definition clearly states that this structure, a spatial predictability. An important aspect - making up the Euroregion equality and legal basis regulating the activities. Euroregions the difference is affected by the establishment of diversity goals and objectives, operational priorities of inequality. Master work to make the Euroregion activities and development from 2000 to 2008. The main aspect of the study - macroeconomic dynamics of change and development in the different territories of the Euroregion. Analyzed the gross value added (GVA), gross domestic product (GDP), capital investment, foreign direct investment and export performance of the Euroregion. The study seeks to statistically justify the object (in this case, the Euroregion) the essential features of the functioning of factors. Euroregion presented as an integrated complex system with myriad shortcomings, the principal - daugiamatiškumas. The paper aims to maximize distance from the historical and social context, and results only in an economic context. Master thesis is written using descriptive, statistical and other sources for analysis and graphical methods.

South Africa, in common with many other developing countries, embarked on an import substitution policy to promote development and industrialisation. Although initially successful, it was recognised in the late 1960s that the scope for further import substitution was limited and that alternative development strategies should be embarked upon. Unfortunately, the years of import substitution resulted in high levels of protection and consequently an anti-export bias. In 1972, under the leadership of Dr Reynders, a commission found that South Africa should embark upon a policy of export promotion. In 1980 a new form of export incentive was introduced, viz. Category A and B. Category A incentives were aimed at neutralising the effects of import substitution and compensated exporters fifty per cent of the duty payable on inputs, regardless of whether the inputs were imported or not. Category B incentives compensated exporters for the consequences of cost increasing on non-intermediate inputs because of the import substitution policy and was calculated on the value added. Exporters also enjoyed various grants and tax breaks to enable them to undertake export marketing. The schemes were unsuccessful and were replace by a General Export Incentive Scheme (GElS) in 1990. The main aim of the GElS was to encourage the export of manufactured products. With the means of an econometric model, the success of GElS is evaluated on a sectoral basis. GElS brought with it rent seeking, corruption, lobbying, and threats of countervailing duties. In addition to the enormous costs, exceeding R6 billion, there were other bureaucratic costs. In general, the GElS was not successful. The sectors that did benefit from receiving GElS benefits were the tobacco industry, footwear, furniture, metal products, and electrical machinery. In most cases, exporters would have exported with or without GElS. GElS was simply a windfall. Policy-makers failed to recognise the dynamics of exporting. GElS contributed neither to additional exports, export capacity nor to a sustained competitive advantage. import substitution policy to promote development and industrialisation. Although initially successful, it was recognised in the late 1960s that the scope for further import substitution was limited and that alternative development strategies should be embarked upon. Unfortunately, the years of import substitution resulted in high levels of protection and consequently an anti-export bias. In 1972, under the leadership of Dr Reynders, a commission found that South Africa should embark upon a policy of export promotion. In 1980 a new form of export incentive was introduced, viz. Category A and B. Category A incentives were aim.ed at neutralising the effects of import substitution and compensated exporters fifty per cent of the duty payable on inputs, regardless of whether the inputs were imported or not. Category B incentives compensated exporters for the consequences of cost increasing on non-intermediate inputs because of the import substitution policy and was calculated on the value added. Exporters also enjoyed various grants and tax breaks to enable them to undertake export marketing. The schemes were unsuccessful and were replace by a General Export Incentive Scheme (GElS) in 1990. The main aim of the GElS was to encourage the export of manufactured products. With the means of an econometric model, the success of GElS is evaluated on a sectoral basis. GElS brought with it rent seeking, corruption, lobbying, and threats of countervailing duties. In addition to the enormous costs, exceeding R6 billion, there were other bureaucratic costs. In general, the GElS was not successful. The sectors that did benefit from receiving GElS benefits were the tobacco industry, footwear, furniture, metal products, and electrical machinery. In most cases, exporters would have exported with or without GElS. GElS was simply a windfall. Policy-makers failed to recognise the dynamics of exporting. GElS contributed neither to additional exports, export capacity nor to a sustained competitive advantage. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, 1996.