Trade Costs and the Agglomeration of Production

The object of this paper is to study the evolution of trade costs and of the agglomeration of production, as well as their relation. The Home Market Effect prescribes increasing agglomeration when trade costs decrease because it is supposed to strengthen. We study the joint variation of trade costs and agglomeration in all the sectors that we consider, and specifically in those which support the home market effect hypothesis. We employ an original approach based on the combination of different bootstrap distributions. Our analysis yields insights into the evolution of trade costs and agglomeration in Europe in the last decade.Trade Costs; Agglomeration of Production; Home Market Effect; Bootstrap

Sectorial Border Effects in the European Single Market: an Explanation through Industrial Concentration

The purpose of this paper is to explain the relation between the Border Effect and industrial concentration. This is achieved by founding this relation on the Home Market Effect and testing the robustness of this foundation through an application to the European Single Market. A sectorial Gravity Equation is estimated using different econometric estimators, in particular we discuss a recently suggested technique for the estimation of log-linear CES models. Overall, our findings suggest a steady relation between the Border Effect and industrial concentration. Besides, the analysis of industrial concentration through a synthetic index provides us with valuable insights into the structure of the European industry. JEL Classification: F10, F12, F15.Border Effect, European Single Market, Home Market Effect, Industrial Concentration, Trade

The Geographic Space in International Trade: from Gravity to New Economic Geography

In this paper we discuss the foundations of two recent trade theories linked by the role that the space-dimension plays in this kind of models. The theories discussed are the Gravity Approach and the New Economic Geography. We dedicate much to the explanation of the micro-foundations of the gravity equation and to the solution of the Border Puzzle achieved in a relevant and innovative paper by Anderson and van Wincoop. Some upto-date empirical applications, which test or use Gravity and NEG relations, are discussed in order to show how much these two theories are used in empirical trade analysis.Gravity, Trade Costs, Border Puzzle, Economic Geography

The Export Performance of the Euro Area countries in the period 1996-2007

This paper studies the export performance of the Euro Area and the majority of the Euro Area countries through a Constant Market Share Analysis. We keep a special focus on the three largest countries: Germany, France and Italy. The Constant Market Share Analysis provides a breakdown of an economy’s export performance into the separate components that are due to a Structure Effect, resulting from the product and destination market of its exports, and a broad Competitiveness Effect which is a residual category assumed to capture both price and non-price competitiveness.Constant Market Share Analysis, Export Performance, Specialization, Competitiveness, Euro Area.

Euro's influence upon trade: Rose effect versus border effect

This paper assesses the Euro’s influence upon European trade by estimating two different indicators. The first is the so-called “Rose Effect”, while the second is the “Border Effect”. The former measures how much a country within a currency union trades more with its partners than with non-member countries, the latter measures the integration of a country with its trade partners. This study of the Euro’s influence by means of the Border Effect is a novelty in the literature, it reveals that the Euro’s influence upon trade is not so clear as papers focused only on the Rose Effect claim. This casts doubts about the consequences of the Euro introduction for the European Single Market. Both indicators are estimated by means of a gravity model for bilateral trade flows using a panel of manufacture exports among twenty-four OECD countries. JEL Classification: F10, F14, F15Border Effect, euro, European Integration, Rose effect, Trade

The Mandate and the Activity of the International Monetary Fund

This paper explains the evolution of the International Monetary Fund’s mandate and discusses its role in supporting countries experiencing a macroeconomic crisis. We consider the conditionality attached to its loans and why it is convenient in some regards. Even though its operations and functioning raise many criticisms, we argue that the Fund is a necessary institution because it acts opposite to capital markets when it is necessary.International Monetary Fund, Conditionality, Structural Adjustment Programs.

The Geographic Space in International Trade: from Gravity to New Economic Geography

In this paper we discuss the foundations of two recent trade theories linked by the role that the space-dimension plays in this kind of models. The theories discussed are the Gravity Approach and the New Economic Geography. We dedicate much to the explanation of the micro-foundations of the gravity equation and to the solution of the Border Puzzle achieved in a relevant and innovative paper by Anderson and van Wincoop. Some upto-date empirical applications, which test or use Gravity and NEG relations, are discussed in order to show how much these two theories are used in empirical trade analysis

The Export Performance of the Euro Area countries in the period 1996-2007

This paper studies the export performance of the Euro Area and the majority of the Euro Area countries through a Constant Market Share Analysis. We keep a special focus on the three largest countries: Germany, France and Italy. The Constant Market Share Analysis provides a breakdown of an economy’s export performance into the separate components that are due to a Structure Effect, resulting from the product and destination market of its exports, and a broad Competitiveness Effect which is a residual category assumed to capture both price and non-price competitiveness

Mandato e Attività del Fondo Monetario Internazionale

This paper explains the evolution of the International Monetary Fund’s mandate and discusses its role in supporting countries experiencing a macroeconomic crisis. We consider the conditionality attached to its loans and why it is convenient in some regards. Even though its operations and functioning raise many criticisms, we argue that the Fund is a necessary institution because it acts opposite to capital markets when it is necessary

Mandato e Attività del Fondo Monetario Internazionale

This paper explains the evolution of the International Monetary Fund’s mandate and discusses its role in supporting countries experiencing a macroeconomic crisis. We consider the conditionality attached to its loans and why it is convenient in some regards. Even though its operations and functioning raise many criticisms, we argue that the Fund is a necessary institution because it acts opposite to capital markets when it is necessary