Who Gains and Who Loses from China's Growth?

Emerging countries have been winning large market shares since the early 1990s. Among these, China stands out with the most remarkable performance: it almost tripled its world market share since 1994 reaching 16.1% in 2007. The present paper attempts to identify the countries that have profited the most from this increase in the size of the Chinese market. I use an econometric shift-share methodology, that permits to identify for each trade flow the share of growth arising from the capacity to target the products and markets with the highest increase in demand, and the share due exclusively to exporter’s performance.China, Export Performance, Shift-Share, International Relations/Trade, F12, F15,

Border Effects and East-West Integration

A new method for measuring trade potential from border effects is developed and applied to manufactured trade between the old fifteen European Union (EU) members and twelve Central and East European (CEE) economies. Border effects are estimated with three theoretically compatible trade specifications, and much larger trade potentials are obtained than predicted by usual trade potential models. Even after a decade of regional trade liberalization, the integration of CEE and EU economies is two to three times weaker than intra-EU integration, revealing a large potential for East-West European trade.Trade potential, regional integration, border effects

Applying the gravity approach to sector trade: Who bears the trade costs?

Thanks to its empirical success, the gravity approach is widely used to explain trade patterns between countries. In this article we question the simple application of this approach to product/sector-level trade on two grounds. First, we demonstrate that the traditional Armington version of gravity must be altered to properly account for the fact that sector expenditures are not strictly equal to sector productions because some trade costs are incurred outside the sector of interest. Secondly, we test empirically the mis-measurement of the expenditures with both Armington (1969) and Helpman and Krugman (1985) approaches. We estimate trade flows and prices simultaneously with non linear techniques. Underestimated expenditure levels yield biased values of model parameters.gravity, trade, econometric simulation

Border Effects and European Integration

A new method for measuring trade potential from border effects is developed and applied to manufactured trade between the old fifteen European Union (EU) members and twelve Central and East European (CEE) economies. Border effects are estimated with three theoretically compatible trade specifications, and much larger trade potentials are obtained than usually predicted by standard trade potential models. Even after a decade of regional trade liberalization, the integration of CEE and EU economies is two to three times weaker than intra-EU integration, revealing a large potential for East-West European trade

Border Effects and European Integration

A new method for measuring trade potential from border effects is developed and applied to manufactured trade between the old fifteen European Union (EU) members and twelve Central and East European (CEE) economies. Border effects are estimated with three theoretically compatible trade specifications, and much larger trade potentials are obtained than usually predicted by standard trade potential models. Even after a decade of regional trade liberalization, the integration of CEE and EU economies is two to three times weaker than intra-EU integration, revealing a large potential for East-West European trade

Sectoral and geographical positioning of the EU in the international division of labour

Today’s international trade in goods is driven mainly by the growth of exports and imports of the South. Emerging countries naturally gain global market shares in manufactured goods from old industrialised countries, including Europe. This trend has became even more pronounced during the last years. We use a detailed and exhaustive database on world trade from 1995 to 2003 to study the way in which the EU as a whole, and each of its 25 members individually faced these recent evolutions of the world market, compared to their main economic partners. For simplicity reasons, and because most European countries sell more and better on the domestic (EU) market, we disregard intra-EU trade flows. Our analysis draws on a number economic indicators, including the evolution of market shares, adaptation effects, and the revealed comparative advantage, and on a shift-share decomposition of market share growth. First, we examine the overall evolution of countries’ market shares, their geographical and sectoral specialisation, export performance, and capacity to adapt to changes in the global demand. Secondly, detailed results on the positioning and the performance of exports on different segments of the world market are produced. In both cases trade unit-values data is employed to separate the evolution of exports in monetary (value), and physical (volume) terms. This differentiation is necessary to distinguish between the impact of pure demand, and price-related factors on countries’ exports performance. Unit values are used as well to segment markets according to the quality of traded products according to the principle that high-quality products (up-market) are also the more expensive ones. Nevertheless, besides intrinsic quality this taxonomy reflects additional aspects, such as trade-mark effects or the capacity of countries to sell their products at high prices. EU’s position on the global market has eroded during the last years, because of the poor performance of its largest members (except Germany), and despite the favourable sectoral breakdown of its exports. Still, its losses in market share were considerably smaller than those of its American and Japanese competitors, due mainly to the ability of European firms to sell expensive products to foreign consumers. The EU reinforced or acquired leadership in up-market products in a large number of industries, ranging from leather and clothing to machinery and automobiles. At the same time, European countries suffered important market share losses in the high-technology sector. Moreover, the revealed comparative advantage indicator shows that the EU, contrary to other developed countries, does not exhibit a specialisation in high-technology products. This result is explained by the large and deepening disadvantage of EU countries in down-market high-tech products, such as computer devices. Nevertheless, the EU has maintained and even reinforced its comparative advantage in up-market (high-price/high-quality) high-technology products

Sectoral and geographical positioning of the EU in the international division of labour

Today’s international trade in goods is driven mainly by the growth of exports and imports of the South. Emerging countries naturally gain global market shares in manufactured goods from old industrialised countries, including Europe. This trend has became even more pronounced during the last years. We use a detailed and exhaustive database on world trade from 1995 to 2003 to study the way in which the EU as a whole, and each of its 25 members individually faced these recent evolutions of the world market, compared to their main economic partners. For simplicity reasons, and because most European countries sell more and better on the domestic (EU) market, we disregard intra-EU trade flows. Our analysis draws on a number economic indicators, including the evolution of market shares, adaptation effects, and the revealed comparative advantage, and on a shift-share decomposition of market share growth. First, we examine the overall evolution of countries’ market shares, their geographical and sectoral specialisation, export performance, and capacity to adapt to changes in the global demand. Secondly, detailed results on the positioning and the performance of exports on different segments of the world market are produced. In both cases trade unit-values data is employed to separate the evolution of exports in monetary (value), and physical (volume) terms. This differentiation is necessary to distinguish between the impact of pure demand, and price-related factors on countries’ exports performance. Unit values are used as well to segment markets according to the quality of traded products according to the principle that high-quality products (up-market) are also the more expensive ones. Nevertheless, besides intrinsic quality this taxonomy reflects additional aspects, such as trade-mark effects or the capacity of countries to sell their products at high prices. EU’s position on the global market has eroded during the last years, because of the poor performance of its largest members (except Germany), and despite the favourable sectoral breakdown of its exports. Still, its losses in market share were considerably smaller than those of its American and Japanese competitors, due mainly to the ability of European firms to sell expensive products to foreign consumers. The EU reinforced or acquired leadership in up-market products in a large number of industries, ranging from leather and clothing to machinery and automobiles. At the same time, European countries suffered important market share losses in the high-technology sector. Moreover, the revealed comparative advantage indicator shows that the EU, contrary to other developed countries, does not exhibit a specialisation in high-technology products. This result is explained by the large and deepening disadvantage of EU countries in down-market high-tech products, such as computer devices. Nevertheless, the EU has maintained and even reinforced its comparative advantage in up-market (high-price/high-quality) high-technology products

Strategies of prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic

Catedra de igienă, Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie „Nicolae Testemiţanu”, Chişinău, Republica MoldovaRezumat Introducere. Măsurile de prevenţie şi de minimalizare a răspândirii infecţiei sunt esenţiale în rândul populaţiei generale. Echipamentele de protecţie personală (EPP) sunt un subiect, probabil, cel mai discutat şi cel mai emoţionant pentru personalul de asistenţă medicală din prima linie, care lucrează cu pacienţii infectaţi cu coronavirus (COVID-19), dar şi pentru populaţia de rând. Material şi metode. Pentru realizarea obiectivului trasat, a fost efectuată o căutare avansată a literaturii de specialitate, folosind motorul de căutare Google Scholar, precum şi în bazele de date PubMed, Research for Life şi Medline. În această sinteză, au fost incluse 44 de articole publicate înainte de 10 mai 2020. Toate constatările şi declaraţiile făcute se bazează pe informaţii publicate, listate în referinţe. Rezultate. În majoritatea cazurilor, au fost folosite măsuri de prevenţie sanitaro-epidemiologică tip carantina de 14 zile a contacţilor. De asemenea, s-a indicat dezinfectarea surafeţelor cu soluţie de clorură de var sau soluţie alcoolica de 70% şi practicile de igienă a mâinilor. Distanţa socială s-a indentificat ca fiind o metodă foarte eficientă. În locurile unde nu a fost posibil de respectat distanţa socială, s-a indicat folosirea echipamentelor individuale de protecţie.Abstract Introduction. The measures for prevention and minimizing the spread of infection are essential among the general population. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is probably the most discussed and touching topic for the first-line healthcare staff working with patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) and for the general population. Material and mehods. To achieve the proposed goal, it was performed an advanced search of the literature using the Google Scholar search engine and the PubMed, Research for Life and Medline databases. In this review were included 44 articles published before 10 May 2020. All made statements are based on the published information listed in references. Results. In most cases, it were used sanitary-epidemiological prevention measures such as 14-days quarantine for contacts, also, it were indicated surface disinfection with lime chloride solution or 70% alcoholic solution and hand hygiene practices. Social distancing has proven to be a very effective method. In place where it was not possible to respect these measures, it was indicated to use personal protective equipment

Intégration commerciale et déterminants non-traditionnels des échanges: institutions et réseaux

This dissertation studies the burden of international trade costs on trade between countries, and the contribution of two non-traditional factors to lowering these costs. It evaluates the size of overall border-related trade costs, and the extent to which their reduction can be achieved via regional economic integration. A central place in this discussion is attributed to non-traditional trade determinants, represented by country-specific institutions, and by transnational social and business networks. The latter furnish foreign contacts and information about potential partners and increase the security and contract enforcement in international transactions, which all translate in lower costs and reduced uncertainty of cross-border exchanges. This study is important not only for a more thorough understanding of a series of phenomena observed in international economics, but also for the development of specific economic policies assisting countries in achieving their long term objectives.The work presented in this thesis consists mainly of an empirical analysis of the above mentioned issues. But it also takes advantage of the recent theoretical advances in international trade literature. This thesis shows that there is room for non-traditional trade costs in explaining missing international trade. Trade potentials may actually have been underestimated in the literature, and trade creation associated with regional economic integration might be much larger than expected. This finding is illustrated in the particular case of trade between East and West European countries. Results presented in different chapters confirm the pro-trade effect of both institutions and transnational networks. The well-functioning of domestic and foreign institutions is a factor comparable in importance to foreign trade policies. Even after all tariff and non-tariff barriers are removed, institutional reforms can generate a large increase in international trade. Social networks promote trade not only via common ethnic, linguistic and other ties that connect their members, but also via information and tastes acquired from the consumption of foreign cultural goods. A particular form of business networks, home country associations established by immigrants in their host country, is studied in the last part of the dissertation. Migrant associations have a stronger effect on trade than social network ties, they shape foreign trade and affect decisions to invest abroad.La présente thèse étudie l'importance des coûts non-traditionnels liés à l'échange en mettant l'accent sur les institutions nationales et sur les réseaux transfrontaliers sociaux et d'affaires. Au-delà de la nécessité d'identifier les coûts non-traditionnels, la question se pose également de les quantifier afin de pouvoir estimer la création de commerce associée à leur réduction et de formuler des recommandations précises en termes de politique économique. Les institutions et les réseaux augmentent la sécurité et assurent l'application des clauses contractuelles dans les transactions internationales, fournissent des contacts et des informations sur les partenaires potentiels étrangers, fait qui implique des coûts liés à l'échange inférieurs et moins d'incertitude dans les échanges internationaux. On montre que les potentiels de commerce sont généralement sous-estimés dans la littérature : l'intégration économique régionale peut créer beaucoup plus de commerce que l'on estime traditionnellement, et même quand la réduction totale des barrières aux échanges est achevée. L'amélioration et l'harmonisation des cadres institutionnels peuvent générer autant de commerce international que la libéralisation commerciale. Les réseaux sociaux favorisent l'échange par l'intermédiaire de liens ethniques, linguistiques etc. communs, mais aussi du à l'information et aux préférences acquises par la consommation des biens culturels d'origine étrangère. Les réseaux d'affaires sont illustrés par des associations de migrants et ont un effet positif sur le commerce plus fort que celui des réseaux sociaux