Fragmentation and vertical intra-industry trade in East Asia

East Asia experienced an unprecedented change in its international trade patterns in the last 10–15 years. To investigate this development, the paper decomposes machinery trade into one-way trade, vertical intra-industry trade (vertical IIT), and horizontal intra-industry trade (horizontal IIT), using finely disaggregated international trade data. Our empirical analysis confirms that the significance of vertical IIT drastically increased, while the relative importance of one-way trade dropped. In addition, our empirical results show no evidence that most vertical IIT conforms to the vertical product differentiation model. Rather, the explosive increase in vertical IIT is largely due to the expansion of back-and-forth transactions in vertically fragmented cross-border production processes. The findings show that vertical international production sharing did become an essential part of each economy in East Asia in the 1990s, particularly with the explosive increase in vertical transactions of machinery parts and components.     

影响国际旅游服务ⅡT的基本因素研究

全球经济一体化以及区域经济一体化进程的深入使国际旅游服务贸易得到了蓬勃发展。文中首次将产业内贸易(Intra-Industry Trade,IIT)理论引入国际旅游服务贸易研究当中,以产业内贸易的视角来观察双向对流的国际旅游服务贸易(即旅游服务IIT)。以东盟为例,探讨了国际旅游服务IIT的发展现象,进而结合旅游学相关理论分析了影响双向对流旅游服务贸易的基本因素。对影响国际旅游服务IIT基本因素的研究可以为提高国际旅游服务IIT的程度,实现贸易多方的"共赢"提供决策依据。     

Does Turkey have a special trade relation with the EU?: A gravity model approach

We apply the gravity model to Turkey's trade flows over 1967–2001. First, we check whether this model fits Turkey's geographical pattern of trade in goods. Second, provided that the model works, we assess whether Turkey already has a “special” trade relation with the EU, namely whether merchandise exchanges between the two parties exceed what the gravity approach predicts. The main findings are: (i) the gravity model provides a good fit of Turkey's trade patterns, and (ii) despite the 1963 Association agreement and the customs union launched in 1996, there is no evidence of additional trade between Turkey and the EU.     

Bayesian inference for the gravity model

This paper seeks to empirically extend the gravity model, which has been widely used to analyze volumes of trade between pairs of countries. We generalize the basic threshold tobit model by allowing for the inclusion of country‐specific effects into the analysis and also show how one can explore the relationship between trade volumes and a given covariate via a non‐parametric approach. We use our derived methodology to investigate the impact of a particular aspect of institutions—the enforcement of contracts—on bilateral trade. We find that contract enforcement matters in predicting trade volumes for all types of goods, that it matters most for the trade of differentiated goods, and that the relationship between contract enforcement and trade in our threshold tobit exhibits some nonlinearities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

广东省机电产品产业内贸易的实证研究

本文基于2002～2009年的相关数据,运用G-L指数和Bruelhart指数分别从静态和动态角度分析了广东省机电产品的产业内贸易状况;同时,本文还将产品的TC指数与其G-L指数结合起来,对广东省不同种类机电产品的国际贸易竞争力和产业内贸易水平进行了综合分析。     

TRADE AND FACTOR FLOWS IN A DIVERSE EU: WHAT LESSONS FOR THE EASTERN ENLARGEMENT(S)?

Abstract.  This paper reviews the neoclassical and new economic geography (NEG) theoretical frameworks used to analyse the effects of integration on trade and factor flows, and the empirical work carried out within those theoretical frameworks for the European case. The European Union (EU) is of particular interest because it is illustrative of the tensions between deepening of the integration process and widening membership: whereas deepening requires homogeneity, widening has made the EU increasingly diverse. The orthodox framework saw trade and factor flows as substitutes, thus separating their analysis, and was mainly concerned with efficiency issues of trade integration. The NEG framework saw trade and factor flows as complements, and analysed them jointly, looking mainly at distribution issues such as disparities in industry location and wages arising from a single market for goods and factors. The main lesson for the Eastern enlargement(s) is that integration in its various forms leads to an uneven distribution of gains across member countries when these have very diverse economic structures.     

Will Brexit speed a seismic shift in UK trade patterns?

• The UK's trade pattern has shifted significantly away from the EU since the 1990s. Our analysis suggests that this shift will continue in the decades to come, with the EU share in UK goods exports potentially slipping to around 35% by 2035. Shifts in relative prices from moves in tariff and especially non‐tariff barriers could lower the share further.
• Over 60% of UK goods exports went to the EU in the late 1990s but this has fallen to around 45%. Slow EU growth is partly to blame, with UK exports to the EU barely expanding since 2007. But our analysis also shows that a 1% rise in EU GDP leads to only around half the rise in UK exports to the EU that a 1% rise in GDP in the rest of the world induces in UK exports to non‐EU countries.
• Based on our findings and OE forecasts of long‐term growth in the EU and the world, the EU share of UK goods exports could fall to 37% by 2035 and around 30% by 2050 – back to its 1960 level. The share of services exports to the EU has held up better but is lower than for goods, at around 40%.
• Weakening growth of UK exports to the EU has taken place despite the development of the EU single market since the early 1990s. Indeed, based on our projections UK goods exports to the single market could drop below 5% of UK GDP by 2050. These projections make no allowance for Brexit effects, but the declining importance of exports to the EU single market could colour prospective Brexit negotiations.
• Simple income‐based projections of potential country shares in future UK exports suggest a further swing towards emerging countries (EM) in the decades ahead, especially China and India. Exports to EM could approach 40% of the total by 2035. A shift in the pattern of trade preferences and restrictions faced by the UK post‐Brexit could spark even larger shifts in the structure of UK exports.

     

Factors of trade in Europe

We analyze how a set of determinants affect trade among European countries over the period 1992–2008. The factors encompass variables from the areas of geography, culture, institutions, infrastructure, and trade direction. Trade is analyzed for four types of goods: primary goods, parts and components, capital goods, and consumer goods. For each type of good we also distinguish its definition in terms of flows, intensive margin, and extensive margin. Methodologically, we first derive country-pair fixed effects over all possible pairs of export–import partners, and in the second stage we relate fixed effects with a set of influential factors. We show (i) the intuitive and varying effects of geographical, cultural, and institutional factors; (ii) the beneficial effects of soft and hard infrastructure; and (iii) the key importance of trade between old and new EU members.     

Trade and the balance of payments

Net trade was a substantial drag on GDP growth in 2012 and, though that turned around in 2013Q1, this was only due to imports falling by more than exports. The export weakness has been due to the poor performance of services and falling exports of goods to the EU. In contrast exports of goods to non‐EU countries have held up well, rising 3.8% in the three months to May relative to a year ago…     

Trade liberalisation and CAP reform in the EU

Europe has underperformed relative to its peers and to its own previous performance over the last two decades. That underperformance reflects a range of factors, from structural rigidities in labour and capital markets, to inappropriate macroeconomic policy. But one set of policy measures that could contribute to improved economic performance in the future is trade liberalisation and reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This article examines the benefits that could accrue to the UK, EU and global economies from the liberalisation of trade in goods and from the replacement of the current CAP with other, more productive forms of spending. It finds that the current barriers to trade in the EU, and the resources dedicated to the maintenance of the CAP, are set to cost the EU some 2% of GDP by 2015 if they remain in place. Moreover, this cost falls disproportionately on the poorer members of society.     

Multi-store competition: Market segmentation or interlacing?

This paper develops a model for multi-store competition between firms. Using the fact that different firms have different outlets and produce horizontally differentiated goods, we obtain a pure strategy equilibrium where firms choose a different location for each outlet and firms' locations are interlaced. The location decisions of multi-store firms are completely independent of each other. Firms choose locations that minimize transportation costs of consumers. Moreover, generically, the subgame perfect equilibrium is unique and when the firms have an equal number of outlets, prices are independent of the number of outlets.     

我国输欧消费品技术性贸易壁垒的新进展

2004～2009年,欧盟对华产品通报始终位居RAPEX系统首位。2009年,欧盟发布对华通报1993项,相比2008年增幅达7％。2009年,欧盟连续发布多项关于消费品和消费品中化学物质的安全指令,我国输欧消费品面临的技术性贸易壁垒形势愈加严峻。文章在统计和分析欧盟RAPEX对华产品通报新进展的基础上,围绕2009年欧盟新出台的法规与指令展开研究,综合分析了导致我国输欧消费品遭受技术性贸易壁垒的多方面因素,最后提出了应对策略与建议。     

Intermediaries in Entrepôt Trade: Hong Kong Re-Exports of Chinese Goods

In this paper, we examine Hong Kong's role in intermediating trade between China and the rest of the world. Hong Kong traders distribute a large fraction of China's exports. Net of customs, insurance, and freight charges, re-exports of Chinese goods are much more expensive when they leave Hong Kong than when they enter. Hong Kong markups on re-exports of Chinese goods are higher for differentiated products, products with higher variance in export prices, and products sent to China for further processing. These results are consistent with the view that traders resolve informational problems in exchange. Additional results suggest that traders price discriminate across destination markets and use transfer pricing to shift income from high-tax countries to Hong Kong.     

欧债危机对中欧贸易的实证分析

通过考察欧债危机下我国对欧贸易额、贸易结构、贸易比重的变化,利用相关数据,建立了ARMA模型,进一步定量分析中欧贸易总额实际值与预测值的差别。利用近四年来月度数据,建立ARIMA模型,对未来5个月的进出口贸易总额进行了预测,最后提出了应对欧债危机,促进中欧贸易的建议。     

Brexit — velvet divorce or messy breakup?

• We use a ‘scenario tree’ approach to look at the possible outcomes of the negotiations around the UK's exit from the EU. Given how little common ground there is between the two sides, we find that a relatively loose relationship is the most likely outcome, with the UK set to leave the EU in early‐ 2019.
• The negotiating positions of the UK and EU are diametrically opposed. The UK wants to end the free movement of labour, cease making contributions to the EU budget and regain ‘sovereignty’ from Brussels, while retaining as much access to the single market as possible. But the EU's starting position is that single market access is dependent upon agreeing to the four freedoms and that this is non‐negotiable.
• So far all signs are that the UK will prioritise the ability to control immigration over single market access. Thus remaining a member of the EEA is very unlikely to be viable over the longer‐term – our scenario tree analysis gives it a probability of just 6% – although it may be adopted as an interim step. Remaining part of the customs union is also unlikely (18%) as it will preclude the UK from making FTA with third countries.
• If the EU takes a mercantilist approach, it will have little incentive to come to an agreement with the UK over single market access for services, given the UK's large trade surplus with the EU for these activities, implying that UK firms may face growing non‐tariff barriers after the UK has left the EU. The UK's large deficit on goods trade with the EU gives a better chance of agreeing a FTA for goods, though with any FTA requiring agreement from all 27 EU members, the UK would have to be prepared for lengthy negotiations and make extensive concessions. Therefore, we think that a reversion to WTO rules (37%) is slightly more likely than agreeing a FTA (36%).

     

基于贸易货流特征的中欧班列货运经济性研究

针对中欧班列发展的问题,从中国与欧洲、日韩与欧洲各国的贸易特征入手,分析贸易品类、货物流向、货物规模;基于不同运输方式的运费、运输周期构建经济分析模型,测算符合铁路运输经济性的货物特征,以及国际贸易中具备铁路运输经济性的货物总量规模,进而指导中欧班列实现更符合市场规律的高效发展。     

Over the cliff edge and on to the rocks below

• ? If Brexit negotiations were to break down, the UK would face a significant increase in trade disruption from March 2019, even if it were able to put some basic trading arrangements in place. In a scenario where key sectors face extra friction, we find that the level of UK GDP would be 2.0% – or £16bn in cash terms – lower at the end of 2020 compared with our baseline. The impact on the remaining EU countries, including Ireland, would be much smaller .
• ? This article focuses on what a cliff‐edge Brexit means for trade costs and prices. This is only part of the equation – such a scenario would also influence supply chains and migration, while there is also potential for policymakers to mitigate some of the negative effects via looser policy.
• ? The notion that the UK could simply walk away from Brexit negotiations and rely on WTO rules to trade with the world is deeply flawed. The UK would need to re‐establish more than 750 very complex international arrangements just to maintain the status quo. We expect only the most critical issues – such as air travel – to be resolved by March 2019. Exporters also face a substantial increase in non‐tariff barriers.
• ? A breakdown in talks would also see both sides levying tariffs on imports from each other from March 2019, raising the cost of importing UK goods into the EU by 3.5% and by 3.1% for goods imported into the UK from the EU. For the UK, this will apply to roughly 60% of its goods exports and imports, but for all EU countries except Ireland the share would be less than 10%.
• ? The additional trade frictions would knock around 1pp a year off UK GDP growth in 2019 and 2020, resulting in a period of very weak growth. And the risks to this scenario are skewed to the downside – a slump in confidence or failure to establish the necessary customs infrastructure in time could easily generate a worse outcome

     

论欧盟对华反倾销调查的现状与成因——兼论我国企业的应对

欧盟是我国双边贸易中的第一大贸易伙伴,但中欧之间的中欧经贸关系发展中仍然存在一些不和谐的因素。我国目前是世界上遭到反倾销指控最多的国家,而其欧盟是对中国反倾销指控最多的地区之一。因此,有必要对中欧之间的反倾销制度进行比较,对我国企业更好地参与国际贸易提供建议。文章将结合经济学与法学的知识探讨中欧反倾销法差异问题,并在研究的基础上对中国的反倾销立法的完善和我国企业的应对上提出有益的建议。     

中荷之间的任务贸易

在经济全球化时代,随着交易成本的降低和世界性专业化分工,国际贸易特征发生变化。任务贸易理论将替代李嘉图的比较优势理论。文章试图利用任务贸易理论来解释中荷之间的贸易。荷兰是通往欧洲腹地的通道,而中国负责为荷兰进行产品的生产和组装。这些都是典型的服务外包任务。     

Maintenance contracts for leased goods: their role in creating brand loyalty

Using a two‐period switching cost model, this paper compares rental profit with sales profit in a framework in which duopolists produce horizontally differentiated durable goods. Rental firms use maintenance contracts that stipulate that repeat customers pay a lower fine per unit of damage than do those customers who switch to a rival firm. In the sales regime, firms give loyal customers a discount on their second period prices. If switching costs are zero, sales profit equals rental profit. For positive and identical switching costs, either regime can dominate. As the exogenous rate of depreciation falls, rental profit exceeds sales profit. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.