Harnessing Regional Trade Agreements as Development Policy Instruments

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Date

2023-09

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Publisher

Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy

Abstract

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Countries enter regional trade agreements (RTAs) for many reasons including, but not limited to, promoting international trade and investment, protecting intellectual property rights, and strengthening political ties. There are currently 356 RTAs in force that vary by geography, signatories, product coverage, and provisions. Therefore, it’s not surprising that some trade agreements induce more trade than others. In a recently published paper, the authors confirm that the effect on trade varies significantly across RTAs and even more for specific products, like apparel. Their research also illustrates how RTAs can be used as effective development policy instruments to create jobs and address the root causes of migration.

Keywords

regional trade agreements, rules of origin, development policy

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