The Impact of Rules of Origin On Trade Flows

Within any preferential trade agreement (PTA) origin rules exist in order to prevent third countries from taking advantage of the PTA concessions. The rules thus are there to preserve the existing external protection of countries within the PTA. However, depending on their formulation, they can also increase that level of external protection, resulting in trade suppression and trade diversion. This paper provides the first serious empirical examination of the possible impact of rules of origin on patterns of trade in the European context. The methodology employed is that of an augmented gravity model where we focus on the impact within the Pan-european system of cumulation. The results suggest that rules of origin do indeed restrict trade, that the cumulation of such rules could increase trade in the order of 50%, and that the impact is greater on intermediate than manufacturing trade.international trade, rules of origin, gravity model

Obsidian circulation: new distribution zones for the argentinean northwest

The results reported in this work are part of the research thet seeking a better undestanding of ther cultural development and social relations carried out by prehispanic peoples that inhabited the western and eastern sides of the Cumbre Calchaquies-Sierras del Aconquija (Tucumán-Argentina) mountain range. There are two goals in the search for the characteristic features in the subjects: 1) Souce determiantion by XRF of nine obsidian samples from different archaological sites on both slopes of Cumbres Calchaquies (Tucumán) and 2) Analyzing obsidian distribaution ragne taking into account the findings of the first goals and comparing them with the database for other sites of the Argentinean Northwest (NOA).Fil: Caria, Mario Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Escola, Patricia Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Gomez Augier, Julian Patricio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Glascock, Michael. University of Missouri; Estados Unido

Enhancement of Antiferromagnetic Correlations Induced by Nonmagnetic Impurities: Origin and Predictions for NMR Experiments

Spin models that have been proposed to describe dimerized chains, ladders, two dimensional antiferromagnets, and other compounds are here studied when some spins are replaced by spinless vacancies, such as it occurs by $Zn$ doping. A small percentage of vacancies rapidly destroys the spin gap, and their presence induces enhanced antiferromagnetic correlations near those vacancies. The study is performed with computational techniques which includes Lanczos, world-line Monte Carlo, and the Density Matrix Renormalization Group methods. Since the phenomenon of enhanced antiferromagnetism is found to occur in several models and cluster geometries, a common simple explanation for its presence may exist. It is argued that the resonating-valence-bond character of the spin correlations at short distances of a large variety of models is responsible for the presence of robust staggered spin correlations near vacancies and lattice edges. The phenomenon takes place regardless of the long distance properties of the ground state, and it is caused by a ``pruning'' of the available spin singlets in the vicinity of the vacancies. The effect produces a broadening of the low temperature NMR signal for the compounds analyzed here. This broadening should be experimentally observable in the structurally dimerized chain systems $Cu(NO_3)_2\cdot2.5H_2O$, $CuWO_4$, $(VO)_2P_2O_7$, and $Sr_{14}Cu_{24}O_{41}$, in ladder materials such as $Sr Cu_2 O_3$, in the spin-Peierls systems $CuGeO_3$ and $NaV_2 O_5$, and in several others since it is a universal effect common to a wide variety of models and compounds.Comment: 18 pages revtex with 26 figures include

New export opportunities for mediterranean countries

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Does export-market participation improve productivity? Evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms

ACL-3International audienceThis article has a dual aim. First, it sets out to underline a learning-by-exporting effect in Spanish firms between 1991 and 2002. It further seeks to outline the conditions allowing firms to benefit from these spillover effects. Using a propensity score matching method, a group of firms having entered the export market (treatment group) is compared with a similar group of non-exporting firms (control group), and difference-in-differences regressions are carried out. The results show a cumulative productivity differential of 32% for the first four years of exporting, with continuous improvement in productivity. After three years of exporting, productivity gain is still approximately 10%. This study shows that increases in capacity utilisation and competitive pressure from foreign markets are insufficient to explain this causal link between exporting and total factor productivity (TFP). It is thus possible to deduce the presence of a learning-by-exporting effect, benefiting firms with sufficiently qualified employees and which are already engaged in international relations (due to foreign suppliers and/or foreign equity participation)

Determinants of productivity in Morocco and Egypt - the role of trade?

The aim of this paper is to explore the determinants of productivity and productivity change in the Moroccan and Egyptian economies, with a particular emphasis on the role of international trade in impacting upon productivity levels. Methodologically this is achieved through a two-stage methodology. First we focus on productivity, and productivity change and its determinants at the micro (firm) level. The underlying data we have comprises both detailed cross section data, as well as slightly less detailed time series data. In the first stage then we derive estimates of firm and sectoral level productivity, and examine their evolution over time. For this first stage we derive the firm level productivity measures using both econometric and index number approaches. The second stage of the work is concerned with understanding and explaining the differences in productivity across the firms/sectors, and in particular of the role of trade liberalisation in this. This involves regressing the differences in productivity on a range of key explanatory variables. This analysisis carried out at both the sectoral and the firm level, and for different time periods. Our results suggest that changes in firm level productivity are relatively modest (in particular in the latter half of the period), and that there are quite considerable changes in aggregate productivity arising from a relatively high degree of entry and exit of firms, and from changes in the shares of incumbent firms. This suggests clearly that it is changing market shares, and the entry and exit from the industry that are key to understanding the aggregate productivity changes. It also suggests that is important to consider carefully the institutitional, financial and regulatory framework within which firms operate, and thus the constraints they face. Central to the methodology and the results in this report is the need to recognise the importance of firm level heterogeneity. The results indicate that the relationship between key variables such as import or export openness can vary importantly according to the size (class) of the firm. It is thus important to understand the sources of these differences in these relationships better, and secondly to tailor policy accordingly. Hence, while overall we find a positive relationship between exports and productivity we also find that the relationship between exporting and productivity is weakest for large firms

Labor Market Shocks and Youths' Time Allocation in Egypt: Where Does Women's Empowerment Come In?

International audienc