The aftermath of anti-dumping : are temporary trade barriers really temporary?

A consistent finding in the literature is that anti-dumping (AD) acts as a significant barrier to bilateral trade, in particular, during the time such measures are in force. Adding to a relatively scarce empirical literature, however, we identify adverse impacts of AD which survive well beyond its revocation. More specifically, while we cannot rule out a slight post-revocation recovery, we find empirical evidence that once affected bilateral trade does not fully recover on average following revocation. We use panel data at the Harmonized System four-digit (HS4) level of aggregation to produce these results and show that they are robust to the duration of AD cases, the time of their imposition and revocation, differentiation by economic sector and the nature of imposing countries. Several explanations for our observed empirical results seem plausible, and we provide a theoretical framework which suggests our results could be driven by market exit or underinvestment of targeted firms

Dimensions and Cartography of Dirty Money in Developing Countries: Tripping Up on the Global Hydra

This article aims to analyze the challenges posed by the illicit financial flows (IFFs) that emerged from the consolidation and globalization of financial markets and the persistent and rising inequality of wealth and income. In a first step, we show the key dimensions behind IFFs (governance, trade, finance, taxation, monetary), which affect the multilateral order and promote new relations of dependence between the Global North and the Global South. In a second step, we analyze the cartographic representation of the developing world regarding the challenges posed by IFFs. We argue that IFFs are a subproduct of inefficient international policies and multilateral regulatory frameworks that have decreased the scope of action of nation-states and reduced the incentives for them to cooperate in certain areas of financial markets and global governance, such as international cooperation on tax and IFFs. In the article, we examine the multidimensionality of IFFs through multivariate techniques: More specifically, we use factor and cluster analysis methods based on the most recent information available between 2015 and 2020. Factor analysis reveals four main components behind this global problem: governance issues, foreign direct investment and trade-related issues, bank stability, and taxation. A clustering hierarchical solution provides four clusters of developing countries, in terms of phantom investment and trade misinvoicing, revealing the heterogeneous composition and shortcomings of the Global South. These results help understand the complexities behind IFFs and highlight the relevance of tailored actions to promote a more effective global governance system

Tariff liberalization and product standards: Regulatory chill and race to the bottom?

Does tariff liberalization cause regulatory chill by putting downward pressure on health, safety, and environmental standards? Or does it cause a race to the top as governments seek to use standards as nontariff barriers to trade? There remains remarkably little empirical evidence to answer these long-debated questions. We seek to address this lack by analyzing annual country-by-industry data on notifications of changes in sanitary and phytosanitary standards by world trade organization members. Our results suggest that the impact of increased trade pressure depends on whether domestic producers are likely to gain or lose from a change in standards. Regulatory chill is the dominant response in most countries, but countries in which producers can adapt to standards relatively cheaply appear to race to the top. Consequently, tariff liberalization encourages divergence in standards across countries

Sustainable development discourse and development aid in Germany : tracking the changes from environmental protectionism towards private sector opportunities

"Sustainable Development" can be understood as a widely used discourse that has become even more prominent since the publication of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in 2015. In this paper we analyze the way sustainable development discourse unfolds within the context of development aid in Germany by undertaking a discourse analysis of reports on development policy published 1973-2017 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Our analysis reveals that the sustainable development discourse is characterized by distinct components and storylines that change over time. We detect, in general, a shift away from a focus on environmental protection toward an emphasis on the role of the private sector in leading sustainable development. We argue, therefore, that although development is now only legitimate if it is "sustainable", the discourse apparently facilitates the uneven allocation of development aid. The concern that arises here is that although Agenda 2030 pledges to take "bold and transformative steps" to secure the planet and to leave "no one behind" the least developed states who cannot provide "private sector opportunities" or fulfil "national self-responsibilities" for sustainable development are indeed being "left behind"

Agricultural Value Chain and Households’ Livelihood in Africa: The Case of Nigeria

one of the critical issues of concern is how African countries can take agriculture as a business that creates wealth which can help transform rural communities, increase income and reduce poverty. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to examine how participation in agriculture through cassava value chain can improve households' livelihood outcome in Nigeria. This is addressed by looking at the linkages between economic agents such as farmers (households heads) and processors. As a result, the study utilised qualitative approach to achieve its stated objectives. This approach is carried out with fieldwork in Benue and Oyo States, Nigeria. The study applied the logit regression and propensity scores matching technique. The result show that, while more significant proportion of male cassava production household heads sell cassava in its fresh form without adding value, their female counterparts add value by processing cassava further into finished staple foods. Also, the study identified high involvement of youth and women in cassava production, processing and marketing. Thus, they have greater influence in promoting and improving household’s livelihood outcomes. Therefore, more assertive efforts should be made by all stakeholders to ensure that youth and women have better, less expensive and dependable assess to loans at lower interest rates to participate in the value chain. This will engender inclusiveness of the disadvantaged and poor groups in productive cassava value chain and position Nigeria as an economy that is ready to sustain a global economic agenda for sustainable development