There are a variety of international issues that disrupt the global trade market, an important one being national policies on the regulation of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Many crops have been genetically modified for reasons from herbicide resistance to correcting dietary shortfalls. This study evaluates the United States' exports of corn and soybeans from 1998 to 2016 to identify unusual shocks in trade values. In particular, this study quantifies how the importers' policy stance on the GMO issue impacts bilateral trade values. I estimate a gravity model with both ordinary least squares (OLS) and Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood (PPML) estimations. Residual analysis is used to assess the difference between actual trade and the trade levels predicted by the models. The results suggest that anti-GMO policies reduce trade values by an average of 11%. The largest difference between predictions and actual trade values is seen in corn exports to the European Union. Between 1998 and 2016, this forgone trade in corn was valued at $52.7 billion, which is $2.77 billion per year on average. This value is similar to the annual average value of U.S. exports of corn to Japan in the same period, $2.46 billion. The results have important implications for the agricultural industry. For developing nations, adoption of GMO crops could increase productivity and help alleviate poverty. Ultimately, the decision to adopt is up to the consumer, so the factors of consumer knowledge and opinions of GMOs are not to be ignored. / Master of Science / There are a variety of international issues that disrupt the global trade market, an important one being national policies on the regulation of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. This study evaluates the United States’ exports of corn and soybeans from 1998 to 2016 to identify unusual drops in trade values. In particular, this study quantifies how the importers’ policy stance on the GMO issue impacts bilateral trade values. I estimate a gravity model with various estimation methods. Residual analysis is used to assess the difference between actual trade and the trade levels predicted by the models. The results suggest that anti-GMO policies reduce trade values by an average of 11%. The largest difference between predictions and actual trade values is seen in corn exports to the European Union. Between 1998 and 2016, this forgone trade in corn was valued at $52.7 billion, which is $2.77 billion per year on average. This value is similar to the annual average value of U.S. exports of corn to Japan in the same period, $2.46 billion. The results have important implications for the agricultural industry. For developing nations, adoption of GMO crops could increase productivity and help alleviate poverty. Ultimately, the decision to adopt is up to the consumer, so the factors of consumer knowledge and opinions of GMOs are not to be ignored.

No / This paper attempts to explain the factors that determine the geographical allocation of foreign aid. Its novelty is that it develops a rigorous theoretical model and conducts the corresponding empirical investigations based on a large panel dataset. We run regressions for different major donors (United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and multilateral organizations). with the explicit objective of establishing whether the United States, in light of its geopolitical hegemony, behaves differently from others. We find that all the donors respond to recipient need in their allocation of aid, but that the United States puts less emphasis on this than the other donors with the exception of Japan. We also find that the United States puts more emphasis on donor¿recipient linkages than do the other donors suggesting that the United States attaches greater importance to issues of donor interest, for example, geopolitical, commercial, and other links with specific recipients.

Yes / We examine the effects of banking supervisory architecture on central bank preferences, quantified through a recently proposed measure of central bank conservatism. Using a dynamic panel data specification we document that central banks serving both monetary policy and banking supervision functions are less inflation conservative than those with only a price stability mandate.

This thesis investigates the impact of alcohol taxes on the sales of wine and spirits in Sweden and Norway. The study uses panel data comprising quarterly sales figures from Systembolaget and Vinmonopolet between 2006 and 2023. The analysis employs econometric regression models with fixed effects to account for both observable and unobservable factors. The findings highlight the significant negative price elasticity of demand for alcohol, indicating that higher alcohol taxes reduce consumption of wine and spirits. Additionally, the results suggest that tax increases could be a viable strategy to mitigate the social and health issues associated with excessive alcohol consumption. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers aiming to design effective alcohol taxation policies to promote public health.

No description available.

國際觀光對於許多國內經濟成長趨緩的已開發國家是重要財源之一，日本政府近年來開始積極推動入境旅遊，來刺激停滯經濟成長。此研究探討觀光趨勢與政府能夠推動可增加觀光客人數的觀光政策進而成為以觀光為發展導向的國家。 此報告採用Panel Data分析方法中的固定效應模式來評估觀光收入與觀光價格以及主要事件與相關政策對於國際觀光客的影響，研究對象以十一個亞洲國家到日本旅遊為例。此研究發現觀光需求易受到觀光客出發國家以及目的國家的旅遊價格影響。此研究發現需求的收入彈性係數為+3.041，需求的收價格彈性係數為-0.486，表示對國際觀光客而言，赴日旅遊是較昂貴的商品，觀光客的價格較不彈性。此外, 有關當局預估福島核災事件在2011年會減少觀光客人次至2,765,669，而2015年的外國觀光客免稅購物政策則導致國際觀光客入境人次2,115,519。此研究發現免簽證觀光的延長政策以及對日本的重大抗議對於國際觀光客入境日本並無顯著影響。 / International tourism has become a significant source of economic growth for many developed countries that have encountered slowdowns in domestic economic productivity. The Japanese government has begun, in recent years, to promote inbound tourism in an effort to stimulate its own stagnant economic growth. This paper discusses tourism trends and policies the government could implement to increase the number of tourists and become the “tourism-oriented country” it aspires to be. This paper adopts a Panel Data Analysis with Fixed Effects model to estimate the impact of tourist income and tourism price as well as major events and policy on international tourist arrivals to Japan from 11 Asian countries. The paper finds that tourism demand is sensitive to both origin country income and destination country price. Income elasticity of demand is found to be +3.041 and price elasticity of demand to be -0.486 implying travel to Japan is considered a luxury good and that visitors are price inelastic. Further, the Fukushima nuclear disaster is estimated to have reduced international arrivals by 2,765,669 in its aftermath in 2011 and the implementation of tax-free shopping for foreign visitors led is estimated to have increased international arrivals by 2,115,519 in 2015. The paper finds the expansion of visa exempt travel and major protests against Japan to have no significant impact on international arrivals.

In this thesis, I first investigate the relation between the aggregate unemployment rate and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and outflows. To study this relationship, I use a panel data set that contains 45 (developed and developing) countries observed from 1987 through 2008, and I employ Arellano and Bonds generalized methods of moments (ABGMM) estimation method for dynamic panel data. My results show that FDI inflows and outflows are not determinants of the aggregate unemployment rate. In addition, in line with macroeconomic theory, the previous level of aggregate unemployment has a positive impact on the current level of aggregate unemployment. Again, as macroeconomic theory suggests, my results show that per capita real gross domestic product (RGDP) has a negative effect on the current level of aggregate unemployment. Second, I study the long-run relationship between exports and per capita gross domestic product (instrumented by total population) using a panel data set of 51 countries from 1970 through 2008. To study this relationship, I employ the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) estimation method. I find that the percentage of exports in nominal gross domestic products (GDP) is sensitive to changes in the populations of host countries and, hence, to the changes in their GDP. In addition, my results show that the agreement on trade related investment measures increased the percentage of exports in the nominal GDP of developed host countries more than it did in developing host countries.

In this thesis we examined the validity of Okun’s law across four Nordic countries (Sweden,Norway, Finland and Denmark) using the gap version of Okun's law. Our method foranalyzing the Okun’s law for Nordic countries in this study is time series. We performed anAugmented-Dickey fuller test in order to test for stationarity, to which the result yielded allvariables stationary. Our result, after running the regression of the gap version of Okun’s law,confirms the existence of a negative relationship between unemployment rate and economicgrowth. However, the outcome indicates different Okun coefficients for the four Nordiccountries within the time period of 1989-2018. In conclusion we can affirm that according toour result, the basic assumptions made by Okun regarding a negative correlation betweenunemployment rate and output still holds true today for Nordic countries, with the exceptionthat the percentage decrease in unemployment rate when output increases by one percentvaries across Nordic countries. / I denna uppsats undersökte vi validiteten av Okuns lag för fyra nordiska länder (Sverige, Norge, Finland och Danmark) hjälp av Okuns lag gap modellen. Vår metod för att analyseraOkuns lag för de nordiska länderna i denna studie är tidsserier. Vi testade stationariteten ivåra resultat från tidsserie regressionen via ett Augmented-Dickey fuller test, vilketindikerade att alla variabler var stationära. Vårt resultat, efter att ha utfört regressionen av gapversionen av Okuns lag, bekräftar förekomsten av ett negativt samband mellan arbetslöshetoch ekonomisk tillväxt. Utfallet indikerar dock olika Okun-koefficienter för de fyra nordiskaländerna inom tidsperioden 1989-2018. Sammanfattningsvis kan vi konstatera att enligt vårtresultat gäller de fundamentala antagandena för Okuns lag fortfarande idag för de nordiskaländerna, med undantaget att den procentuella minskningen av arbetslösheten närproduktionen ökar med en procent varierar mellan de nordiska länderna.

The purpose of the thesis examines the relationship between migration and economic growth that has taken place in the EU Member States during the period 2009-2019. The study includes three different theories, Borja's model, Solow's model and Romers' model. It's based on these models in order to be able to answer the study's question and achieve the purpose of this study. A multiple regression analysis is used with the help of panel data for those EU member states. The data material which is used in this study is taken from Eurostat and The World Bank. The GDP per capita growth is used as the dependent variable and the independent variables are Migration, Employment, Expenses, Education and Trade. The results of the regression analysis show that migration has a significant positive relationship with the GDP per capita growth. This supports Borja's (1995) assumptions that there is a migration surplus for the receiving countries when migrants enter, moreover many other studies that are mentioned later that indicate the same. The discussion part deals with the connection between economic growth and migration in which the connections between previous studies and the results from this study is discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre Hiroshi Mitushima.pdf: 505405 bytes, checksum: 407f21225d3d7cb8c6b1f84ae26228b9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-10 / The study of capital structure is one of the main issues in Corporate Finance. Many researchers, in opposition to the propositions of Modigliani and Miller (1958), suggest that there is an optimal debt-equity ratio. Some authors say that the capital structure has a dynamic behavior and try to build models to identify the determinants of this dynamic capital structure. Some recent papers try to identify the variables that influence the speed of adjustment of capital structure. The objective of this research is to identify the determinants mentioned above in Brazilian companies, by analyzing the financial statements of companies listed in São Paulo Stock Exchange. The academic relevance of this study is to give an overview of the behavior of Brazilian companies regarding their optimal capital structure finding some information that can contribute to future researches. / A estrutura de capital das empresas é um dos principais assuntos estudados em Finanças Corporativas. Ao contrário do que propuseram Modigliani e Miller, em 1958, vários autores afirmam que existe uma relação ótima entre capital próprio e capital de terceiros para as empresas. Alguns deles propõem, ainda, que a estrutura de capital é dinâmica, e procuram estabelecer um modelo para identificar quais os seus determinantes. Além disso, em alguns estudos mais recentes, os autores tentam encontrar os fatores que influenciam na velocidade com a qual as empresas se dirigem à estrutura ótima. O objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar tais fatores no mercado brasileiro, através de informações extraídas das demonstrações financeiras de empresas de capital aberto listadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (Bovespa). A relevância acadêmica consiste em proporcionar uma visão do comportamento das empresas brasileiras quanto à busca de uma estrutura ótima de capital, fornecendo algumas informações que poderão ser úteis para estudos posteriores acerca do assunto.