Estándares laborales mínimos, comercio bilateral y multilateral

Core labour standards defined by the ILO in 1998 are universal but applied very differently across countries. Compliance is much higher in high income countries. However, the causality between improved labour standards and economic growth remains a controversial issue. Export-led growth strategies might encourage developing countries to curb the process of standards improvement. In this way, they can raise the volume of their unskilled labour endowments (child and/or forced labour) in order to strengthen their comparative advantage over compliant countries. We use a gravity model to assess the trade impact of the level of compliance with core labour standards, distinguishing the effects on bilateral trade (geographical specialization) from the multilateral effects. We show that countries that meet the labour standards tend to trade more with each other, while non-compliant countries tend to trade more with compliant countries. These effects are identified mainly with respect to child labour and freedom of association. Countries that meet labour standards tend to be less open, but differently depending on the standards, with a non-linear relationship for some of them. Less compliant countries may simultaneously step up their trade and labour standards. For median countries, mainly the emerging countries, the level of compliance with labour standards is “optimal”.Los estándares laborales mínimos definidos por la OIT en 1998 son universales pero se aplican de manera muy diferente en los distintos países. El cumplimiento es mucho más alto en los países de altos ingresos. Sin embargo, la causalidad entre la mejora de las normas laborales y el crecimiento económico sigue siendo un tema controvertido. Las estrategias de crecimiento dirigidas por las exportaciones pueden alentar a los países en desarrollo a frenar el proceso de mejora de las normas. De esta forma, pueden aumentar el volumen de sus dotaciones de mano de obra no calificada (trabajo infantil y / o forzado) a fin de fortalecer su ventaja comparativa sobre los países que cumplen con los requisitos. Utilizamos un modelo de gravedad para evaluar el impacto comercial del nivel de cumplimiento de las normas laborales fundamentales, distinguiendo los efectos sobre el comercio bilateral (especialización geográfica) de los efectos multilaterales. Mostramos que los países que cumplen con las normas laborales tienden a comerciar más entre sí, mientras que los países que no cumplen tienden a comerciar más con los países que cumplen con los requisitos. Estos efectos se identifican principalmente con respecto al trabajo infantil y la libertad de asociación. Los países que cumplen con los estándares laborales tienden a ser menos abiertos, pero de manera diferente dependiendo de los estándares, con una relación no lineal para algunos de ellos. Los países menos dóciles pueden al mismo tiempo intensificar sus normas comerciales y laborales. Para los países medianos, principalmente los países emergentes, el nivel de cumplimiento de las normas laborales es "óptimo"

Newtoning financial development with heterogeneous firms

Abstract: This article theoretically and empirically tests the link between financial constraints and the extensive (proportion of exporters) and intensive (volume of exports) margins of international trade. The article's main contribution is its macroeconomic analysis of this relationship, which is further reaching than the sector-based focus found in the current literature. It also presents new information on firm behavior under financial constraints. The paper develops a trade model with heterogeneous firms and shows that countries with a high level of financial development have a lower productivity cut-off above which firms export and a higher proportion of exporting firms. Nevertheless, financial development is not correlated with firms' export volumes once they become exporters. An empirical analysis is developed on the basis of an international trade database on 135 countries between 1994 and 2007. The empirical analysis estimates a two-step gravity equation using panel data and confirms the first theoretical proposition that finance has a positive impact on the extensive margin. However, the intensive margin results are striking. They find a negative relationship between financial development and trade flows, confirmed by all the sensitivity tests. Despite the positive effect of financial development found by the literature in some economic sectors, the macroeconomic impact on overall exports was negative during the analyzed period

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

La discrimination des prix dans un cadre de concurrence spatiale

[eng] In spatial competition models « à la Hotelling », we can treat simultaneously of two components of imperfect competition : product differentiation and price discrimination. We show that beyond a certain degree of monopoly, price discrimination maximizes the outcome of the firm especially when fixed costs are high for low marginal costs. Some goods with high fixed costs are produced only when price discrimination is feasible. Then, firms have to choose activities where the degree of monopoly is enough for a price discrimination policy. [fre] Les modèles de concurrence spatiale à la Hotelling permettent de traiter simultanément deux éléments de la concurrence imparfaite : la différenciation des produits et la discrimination des prix. On montre qu'au-delà d'un certain degré de monopole, la discrimination des prix permet de maximiser les résultats de la firme, notamment lorsque les coûts sont élevés et les coûts marginaux faibles. Certaines productions qui exigent des coûts fixes élevés ne peuvent alors être engagés que si une politique discriminatoire est engagée. Les entreprises ont alors intérêt à se spécialiser dans les activités où elles disposent d'un degré de monopole suffisant pour pratiquer la discrimination.

Oligopoles et choix de politique commerciale

Dans leurs relations bilaterales, les pays industriels font frequemment usage d'instruments non tarifaires, discriminatoires et tres cibles sur certains secteurs ou certaines entreprises comme les accords d'autolimitation volontaires, les accords d'importations volontaires, les subventions, les droits anti-dumping ou compensateurs. La chronique de ces actions laisse presumer l'existence d'un jeu strategique des Etats, permis, notamment, par la relative concentration des marches.

L'intégration entre pays inégalement développés

Participation à un Rapport pour le Commissariat Général du Plan - 1995-1997Documents de recherches 3,4 et