Debt, Trade, and Payments Issues of Developing Countries and U.S.-Mexican Economic Interdependencies

Debt problems of developing countries seriously constrain their economic and social development as well as the prospects and pace of economic recovery in the developed countries. Debt and trade problems of Mexico are particularly important for the U.S. agricultural economy because of the size and importance of U.S.-Mexican agricultural trade. The importance of Mexico as a U.S. trading partner lends importance to research on Mexican supply, demand, and trade of agricultural commodities and on macroeconomic and monetary policies affecting Mexico's demand and capacity to import. The ninth meeting of the Consortium on Trade Research focused on the debt, trade, and payments problems of developing countries and on U.S.-Mexican economic relationships.Debt, trade, Mexico, United States, agricultural policy, research., International Relations/Trade,

THE ACCURACY OF REGRESSION PROGRAMS: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

POLICY OPTIONS FOR OPEN BORDERS IN RELATION TO ANIMAL AND PLANT PROTECTION AND FOOD SAFETY

Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Relations/Trade,

TRADE IMPACTS OF VOLUNTARY QUALITY STANDARDS FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS

This paper was presented at the INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS SYMPOSIUM in Auckland, New Zealand, January 18-19, 2001. The Symposium was sponsored by: the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium, the Venture Trust, Massey University, New Zealand, and the Centre for Applied Economics and Policy Studies, Massey University. Dietary changes, especially in developing countries, are driving a massive increase in demand for livestock products. The objective of this symposium was to examine the consequences of this phenomenon, which some have even called a "revolution." How are dietary patterns changing, and can increased demands for livestock products be satisfied from domestic resources? If so, at what cost? What will be the flow-on impacts, for example, in terms of increased demands for feedgrains and the pressures for change within marketing systems? A supply-side response has been the continued development of large-scale, urban-based industrial livestock production systems that in many cases give rise to environmental concerns. If additional imports seem required, where will they originate and what about food security in the importing regions? How might market access conditions be re-negotiated to make increased imports achievable? Other important issues discussed involved food safety, animal health and welfare and the adoption of biotechnology, and their interactions with the negotiation of reforms to domestic and trade policies. Individual papers from this conference are available on AgEcon Search. If you would like to see the complete agenda and set of papers from this conference, please visit the IATRC Symposium web page at: http://www1.umn.edu/iatrc.intro.htmInternational Relations/Trade,

THE PRODUCTIVITY AND ALLOCATION OF RESEARCH: U.S. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS

The main purpose of this paper is to present estimates of the marginal products and rates of return to the four major categories of agricultural research conducted by U.S. agricultural experiment stations (cash grains, poultry, dairy, and livestock).Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Multifunctionality: Concepts and Applications to the WTO Negotiations on Agriculture

The ongoing negotiations in the WTO will most certainly lead to a further liberalization of the global agricultural trade. Related to this, many national governments, including Norway, Switzerland and Japan have placed substantial emphasis on the so-called non-trade concerns. In addition to the production of food and fiber, agriculture also provides or may provide national food security, environmental benefits, and viable rural areas. The term "Multifunctional Agriculture" has been applied to describe these additional functions. In this paper, we will show how the economic concepts of "positive and negative externalities" and "public goods" can be used to analyse non-trade concerns and multifunctionality, especially with reference to agriculture's impact on the environment. We conclude the paper with suggestions for international trade rules that can allow countries to meet domestic environmental policy objectives in a minimally trade-distorting manner.Non-trade concerns, multifunctionality, externalities, public goods, cultural landscape, optimum subsidy, WTO, International Relations/Trade,

IMPACTS OF BSE CRISIS ON THE CANADIAN ECONOMY: AN INPUT-OUTPUT ANALYSIS

This study assesses the impacts of BSE crisis on the Canadian economy at the provincial level using an input-output model. The impacts of reductions in exports of beef and cattle on Gross Domestic Product at provincial level, employment, labor income and industrial production are evaluated for Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan provinces. The results show that a reduction of value of exports by $10 million would reduce average Gross Domestic Product and labor income in above provinces by$8.7 and $3.7 millions. Approximately 145 jobs per province would be lost and industrial production would be reduced by$19.7million. The sizes of the impacts on various industries are different in different provinces reflecting the heterogeneity in intra-industrial linkages among provinces. A reduction in beef exports has significant adverse effects on animal slaughtering, rendering and meat processing, cattle and animal food manufacturing industries while a reduction in cattle exports has significant adverse effects on cattle, feed grain and animal food manufacturing industries in most of the cases.Agribusiness, Financial Economics,

Bringing Agriculture into the GATT: Tariffication and Rebalancing

International Relations/Trade,

Determinants of Student Performance in an Undergraduate Financial Accounting Class

This study investigates the effects of class size, high school accounting, aptitude and attitude on learning , measured by the difference between post-test and pre-test scores, in an undergraduate financial accounting class, after controlling for students' major and semester level. Statistical analysis showed that scores of students in small classes improved by 48%, while scores of students in the large classes improved by 6% percent, implying a decline in learning by 88% by shifting to larger classes. High school accounting was found to improve pre- and post-test scores but the improvement on their post-test scores was significantly lower, implying a diminishing effect of high school accounting on performance as the complexity of the course material increases. We also found that midterm grade (aptitude) and changes in perception about the relevance of the class on business-related issues (attitude) motivate learning.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

EFFECTS OF CURRENCY ADJUSTMENTS GIVEN FREE TRADE, TRADE RESTRICTIONS AND CROSS COMMODITY SUBSTITUTION

Comparative static models are developed which measure changes in equilibrium prices and quantities traded of an exchange rate change. Effects are determined for a free trade model and compared with that incorporating trade restrictions similar to those employed by the European community. Quantity changes are found to exceed price changes. Exchange rate effects are found to be greater if trade is restricted.Financial Economics,