国际贸易中的劳工、环境标准之争及发展趋势

近年来,发达国家与发展中国家就国际贸易中劳工、环境标准问题的争论愈加激烈.本文分劳工、环境标准的"公平贸易"之争、WTO引入劳工、环境标准的"合理性"之争两方面对此进行了评述,并预测了其发展趋势.文章认为,劳工、环境标准与国际贸易挂钩是迟早的事.我们一方面需防止贸易伙伴国出于贸易保护需要对劳工、环境标准的滥用;同时应积极主动地运用国际公认的劳工、环境标准,以提升我国产品的国际竞争力.     

联合国制裁影响下的朝鲜对外贸易特征

在梳理近年来联合国安理会对朝鲜系列制裁的基础上,以朝鲜与中国的贸易为重点,分析了朝鲜对外贸易的变化特点。结果显示:①联合国安理会的制裁使朝鲜对外贸易额及朝中贸易额同时出现了下降,其中朝鲜煤炭出口受制裁影响最大;②朝鲜对外贸易结构发生改变,服装类商品代替煤炭占据出口第一位;③随着制裁影响的深入,钢铁成为朝鲜最重要的出口商品,纺织原料和纺织制品、塑料制品、动植物产品成为朝鲜进口的主要商品;④朝鲜更倾向与中、俄两国发展对外贸易。     

How effective is the Free Trade Agreement in South Asia? An empirical investigation

We investigate the efficacy of preferential trade liberalization in changing the observed trade pattern among the South Asian countries that have entered into the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). Although in its nascent stage, some data are now available to provide an ex-post evaluation of the performance of this bloc. Using these data, we find no empirical evidence of trade creation among SAFTA members, which is not surprising given that tariff concessions in SAFTA are small and are offset by complicated rules of origin procedure. However, a substantial and statistically significant increase in exports from SAFTA members to the rest of the world is found. Several panel strategies are used to check the sensitivity of the results against the assumptions of the estimation strategies. As some key coefficient estimates are found to differ across estimation methods, policymakers in South Asia need to use care in relying on the results from empirical studies, including our own, in formulating their trade policies.     

Does WTO accession matter for the Chinese textile and clothing industry?

Based on field surveys conducted in Guangdong, Zhejiang andBeijing in 2000 and 2001, this paper argues that accession tothe World Trade Organisation (WTO) by China will create a newcompetitive arena for different categories of textile and clothingfirms located in that country, partly dependent on the sizeand ownership of the firm. From the perspectives of reducingimport tariffs, eliminating export quotas and the regulationson trade disputes, WTO accession does matter for the majorityof Chinese firms in this ‘win–lose’ game.From the perspective of compliance with international standards,this paper argues that accession to the WTO does not reallymatter for some Chinese firms, as they may not survive the intensecompetition prior to 2005, when the effects of the Agreementon Textiles and Clothing materialise.     

Denmark’s Agricultural Institutions: An Instrumental Evaluation

This paper begins with a tax and a specially organized commission proposed by John R. Commons. Commons made his proposal because high tariffs were not benefiting workers. The paper contends that his proposal also applies to a current problem - the failure of trade agreements to improve working conditions. The paper bases its argument on data, standard economic reasoning, and Commons’ approach in “constructive research” to wage transactions, public purpose, limiting factors, and power imbalances.

The paper argues that Commons’ proposal could improve the evolution of American labor law and that it could ameliorate power imbalances created by laws that give corporations and trade associations a bargaining advantage over nations and organizations such as the International Labor Organization (ILO). It concludes that economic discourse could benefit from consideration of the belief behind Commons’ proposal - that costs of production passed on to consumers should include the cost of good working conditions.     

Trade policy and ecology

Trade sanctions on product exports are often used as measures for conservation of stocks of living resources. Two opposing approaches are investigated. The harvest approach argues that sanctions reduce the harvest, and thus protects the stock. It is shown that this does not consider the long run effects nor the effects of sanctions on the management system. The investment approach argues that increased price protects the stock, making the species a profitable investment. It is shown that this approach does not consider the asset effects of price changes, and that the sanctions usually increase the stock in an one species analysis. If the wildlife competes for land the conclusions may be different, but still sanctions usually works. If the manager has a joint management of several species, the stock effects of sanctions are ambiguous, depending on both the species interaction, and the profitability of the harvesting from each of them. In this case it is not possible to use intuitive reasoning, sanctions give distortions to all stocks simultaneously. The threat of extinction depends crucially on the unit cost in harvesting of depleted stocks. The paper concludes that trade policy is a too general measure for the management of living resources, and may implicate important economic distortions to the ecological system.This study is partially funded by the Research Council of Norway (Environment and Development). I thank Derek Clark, Tore Thonstad, Frode Steen and two anonymous referees for helpful comments.     

WTO机制下农村富余劳动力转移

农村富余劳动力是工业化、现代化和城市化的必然结果。在回顾农村富余劳动力转移的理论和实践基础上，从转移的历史和现状入手指明与WTO直接相联系的转移，并进一步完善了WTO背景下我国农村富余劳动力转移思路：拓展农村富余劳动力转移的产业领域，扩大农村富余劳动力转移的活动空间，利用非公有制经济来安排更多的农村富余劳动力，坚持灵活多样的转移方式，并辅之以相应的土地政策，要运用行政、经济等手段为农村富余劳动力转移作好服务工作。     

贸易制裁的影响及对策

随着国际间贸易的大幅度增长,贸易制裁也越来越多。近几年来中国出口高速增长,自然成为一些国家实施贸易制 裁的“靶子”。理论和实践都证明,制裁双方无赢家。面对不利影响,我国应积极应付,将不利影响降至最小。     

中国南亚战略论

在21世纪的国际体系里,印度是最具潜力的国家。本文在全面考察印度追求大国地位的历史、印度在南亚的战略作为、以及南亚的基本地缘政治态势和南亚各中小国家的地缘政治处境等的基础上,借助中国古代先贤的经典理论,明确指出中国的的南亚战略是合小攻大。     

数字贸易政策国际比较、发展趋势及启示

随着信息通讯技术的发展,数字贸易作为一种新兴的国际贸易形式得以快速发展,在拓展国际贸易范围和边界的同时,也对全球贸易规则提出新的挑战。本文在分析全球数字贸易发展现状的基础上,重点梳理了美国、欧盟、日本等国家数字贸易政策发展脉络,以及数字贸易的未来发展趋势。然后,本文从中小企业的发展、平台企业的作用、数字贸易规则制定等方面提出对中国数字贸易发展的启示。本文认为,中国作为极具潜力的数字贸易大国,在数字经济发展的驱动下参与并推动建设国际数字贸易治理体系势在必行。