In recent years, the use of the mode of regional trade liberalisation has proliferated, while the multilateral talks through the WTO have proceeded slowly, resulting in a debate on the role of bilateral and multilateral trade liberalisation. This thesis aims to provide new insights to this debate by studying the welfare effects of different types of trade agreements and the equilibrium outcome(s) of trade negotiation. We apply the three-country and three-good “competing-exporters model" developed by Bagwell and Staiger (1999) as our basic trade framework. By comparing the equilibrium welfare of each country under different structures of trading blocs, we clarify the welfare impacts of each trade agreement. Then we model the process of trade negotiation as a trade negotiation game, in which each country endogenously decides whether to negotiate through multilateral or bilateral trade liberalisation. By solving the equilibrium of the game, the stable structure of trading blocs and the path(s) to reach it can be found. We start with a framework in which all countries are welfare maximising. We find that at the early stage of trade negotiation, a free trade agreement (FTA) is Pareto welfare improving, despite the fact that member countries benefit more than any non-member. Although being the hub is the best position, a spoke is in a worse position than being outside a single FTA. Thus, a “hub-and-spoke" structure cannot be achieved and the unique equilibrium outcome of trade negotiation is given by multilateral free trade (MFT) through a multilateral trade agreement (MTA). The welfare-maximising analysis is followed by the examination of cases in which each government is politically motivated. The political structure we use is similar to Ornelas (2005), which follows the basic framework developed by Grossman and Helpman (1995), emphasising the interaction between lobby groups representing the special interest of one industry and the government in their home country. We first consider a circumstance where the political pressures are only from the import- competing sector. It is then generalised to a case in which all sectors are allowed to lobby the local government. Furthermore, the analysis is extended into an asymmetric world that includes two big countries and one small country. Our results show that political economy forces usually reduce the likelihood of forming trade agreements and that when the political concerns are sufficiently large, all trade agreements can be prevented by political pressures. Also, our findings suggest that the option of bilateral FTAs does not cause an initially infeasible MFT to become feasible, while a previously feasible MFT is likely to be blocked by the option of FTAs. Thus, our thesis provides some evidence to support the argument that the formation of FTAs can be a “stumbling block" for global trade liberalisation. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Economics, 2009

It is important that Queensland horticultural producers develop export capacity. Production is increasing and Australia has a relatively small domestic market. Export also provides a means to diversify as a risk management strategy and to arrest the income decline from existing markets. This research provides Queensland horticultural producers with a practical example of how the principles of supply chain management and relationship marketing may be applied to successfully access a new export market – the Japanese consumer co-operatives. The thesis examines the theories of relationship marketing and supply chain management and proposes that these constructs provide a suitable format for the development of trading relationships between Queensland producers and Japanese consumer co-operatives. Based on surveys of the co-operatives, the thesis outlines the specific philosophical and operational issues for the co-operatives which impact on their use of imported fruit and vegetables, and identifies direct supply from producers to consumers (sanchoku) as a potential strategy for gaining market entry. Key success factors are developed from the survey data and applied to a case study of a Queensland asparagus company and a mid-sized Japanese co-operative. The development of the business relationship and supply chain is chronicled for the case study firms. The dissertation concludes with observations from the case study and the co-operative survey, providing valuable insights into the strategies required by Queensland firms to build lasting relationships and profitable supply chains into Japanese consumer co-operatives.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2006. / Supervisor: William D. Coleman. Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-349).

Univ., Diss. u.d.T.: Kraus, Christiane: Import tariffs to support environmental policy instruments--Hannover, 1999. / Literaturverz. S. 229 - 241.

Thesis (LL. M.)--Queen's University at Kingston, Canada, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-200).

Thesis (M.S.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Directed by Nancy Hodges; submitted to the Dept. of Consumer Apparel and Retail Studies. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Apr. 13, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-139).

Diss. Univ. Duisburg. / with 37 figures and 8 tables.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Genf, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. xv-xxiv).

Souvent perçue comme un droit d’exclure, la propriété intellectuelle est aussi un objet de commerce. Son importance croissante dans les échanges internationaux semble sous estimée. Des blocages conceptuels (matérialisme économique, idéalisme personnaliste) semblen s’opposer à son organisation. Néanmoins de plus en plus de standards et disciplines relatives aux licences et transferts de droits de propriété intellectuelles sont inclus dans les accords de commerce (ADPIC, ADPIC plus), les unions économiques régionales (UE, ALENA), accords d’investissement et fiscaux. Les pays dévelopés en particulier les États-Unis d’Amérique sont les acteurs clés de ce phénomène normatif. Il montre que la propriété intellectuelle n’est pas une simple marchandise mais un bien en capital d’abord échangeable à l’intérieur de groupes, partenariats et coopérations alternatives. Même si le droit international évoluait vers un régime plus codifié de leur commerce, les propriétés intellectuelles ne seront pas tranformées en simple droit à rémunération. / Sometimes reduced to a right to exclude, intellectual property is also a tradeable item whose increasing importance in international trade seems to be underestimed. Dogmatic conceptions (economic materialism, personnalist idealism) still blocking a proper organisation of this trade. But more and more international standards and disciplines for licences and transfer of intellectual property are included in international trade agreements (TRIPS, TRIPS plus), economic régional unions (UE, NAFTA), tax and investment treaties. Developped countries specially the United States of America are key actors of this normative phenomenon. It shows that intellectual property is not just a stock commodity for the market but a strategic capital tradeable first in transnational groups, partnerships and alternative cooperations. Even if international law evolves towards a more codified regime of their trade, intellectual properties will be not transformed in simple rights for compensation.

Cette thèse doctorale étudie l’impact des effets de réseau sur le commerce et la finance internationale. Le premier chapitre évalue le rôle que joue la centralité des partenaires commerciaux dans la diffusion des connaissances et conclut que l’importation de biens provenant de partenaires situés au cœur du réseau est génératrice de croissance économique. Le deuxième chapitre étudie le rôle des communautés de commerce dans la vitesse d’adoption de nouvelles technologies et établit que la diffusion des idées est encouragée au sein des pays appartenant à la même communauté. Le troisième chapitre souligne le rôle que jouent les partenaires financiers dans le choix d’investir dans une nouvelle destination et montre que les pays sont plus susceptibles d’investir dans un nouveau pays si un de leurs partenaires actuels y a déjà investi. Le quatrième chapitre évalue l’impact de l’importation des produits à risque et estime qu’une augmentation d’un pourcent des importations de produits fragiles provenant d’un pays touché par une catastrophe naturelle est associée à une réduction de 0,7 pourcent des exportations nationales. / This doctoral dissertation investigates the impact of networks effects on international trade and finance. The first chapter estimates the role a trade partners’ centrality plays in the diffusion of knowledge and finds that importing from countries at the core of the network leads to a significant increase in economic growth. The second chapter investigates the role of clusters in the speed of technology adoption and concludes that the diffusion of ideas is fostered among countries belonging to the same cluster. The third chapter emphasizes the role of current partners in choosing a destination for new investments and finds that countries are more likely to invest in a new destination if one of their existing partners have already made some investments in the location. The fourth chapter evaluates the impact of importing risky products on the economy and finds that the elasticity of a country’s exports with respect to its import share of fragile products from a partner impacted by a natural disaster is -0.7 percent.