Do standards improve the quality of traded products?

We examine whether standards raise the quality of traded products. Matching a panel of French firm–product–destination export data with a data set on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, we find that such quality standards enforced on products by destination countries: (i) favour the export probability of high-quality firms provided that their productivity is high enough, (ii) raise the export sales of high-productivity, high-quality firms at the expense of low-productivity and low-quality firms and (iii) increase the quality supplied by firms if their productivity is high enough. We then develop a simple new trade model under uncertainty about product quality in which heterogeneous firms can strategically invest in quality signalling to rationalize these empirical results on quality and selection effects.     

Strategic thinking on improving the environmental competitiveness of Chinese enterprises

Environmental competitiveness, price competitiveness and non-price competitiveness make up the undivided vital part of product＇s competitiveness. Environmental competitiveness can not only help improve the enterprise＇s key competitiveness directly, but also strengthen it indirectly by improving the products＇ price competitiveness and non-price competitiveness effectively. Instead of being confined to the product itself, there are several element＇s that can determine and influence the product＇s environmental competitiveness, including the manufacturing process, the management of enterprise＆the life circle of the products, etc. Measuring these elements by setting “environmental suitable degree ”, and building up the echelon model to evaluate the environmental competitiveness can help us see about the standard of the enterprises＇ environmental competitiveness. Though many of the national enterprises have price competitiveness to some extend, restricted by all kinds of elements like systems, techniques, policy, the enterprises are weak in environmental competitiveness. Beginning with systems redesign, carrying out the sustainable development, strengthening inner enterprises management, making more efforts on technique innovation, and widely publicizing and teaching the ecological concept, Chinese national enterprises can improve their environmental competitiveness and improve their key competitiveness.     

Does European regional competitiveness influence sports? An analysis of three sports

The main objective of this work was to test European regional determinants of sports competitiveness. We studied competitiveness in volleyball, basketball and handball. We developed a theoretical model based on the model proposed by Bernard and Busse (2004) to analyse the effect of regional institutions and sport environments that can interfere with sports competitiveness. To test our model, we constructed an enlarged database for all European NUTS2 since 1995, which we analysed using panel data techniques (censored Tobit models). Our results reveal that the regions that are able to maintain player performance do so by persistent effort and external influences. These factors contribute more to regional competitiveness than a region’s central location or political prominence.     

Are foreign investors attracted to weak environmental regulations? Evaluating the evidence from China

At the center of the pollution haven debate is the claim that foreign investors from industrial countries are attracted to weak environment regulations in developing countries. Some recent location choice studies have found evidence of this attraction, but only for inward FDI in industrial countries. The few studies of inward FDI in developing countries have been hampered by weak measures of environmental stringency and by insufficient data to estimate variation in firm response by pollution intensity. This paper tests for pollution haven behavior by estimating the determinants of location choice for equity joint ventures (EJVs) in China. Beginning with a theoretical framework of firm production and abatement decisions, we derive and estimate a location choice model using data on a sample of EJV projects, Chinese effective levies on water pollution, and Chinese industrial pollution intensity. Results show EJVs in highly-polluting industries funded through Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are attracted by weak environmental standards. In contrast, EJVs funded from non-ethnically Chinese sources are not significantly attracted by weak standards, regardless of the pollution intensity of the industry. These findings are consistent with pollution haven behavior, but not by investors from high income countries and only in industries that are highly polluting. Further investigation into differences in technology between industrial and developing country investors might shed new light on this debate.     

Do environment regulations matter for EU-MENA trade?

This study examines the impact of environmental regulations stringency on agricultural trade between European Union (EU) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA countries). Using a gravity model and applying the zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model, we estimate the impact of environmental regulations stringency on bilateral agricultural exports between 28 EU and 20 MENA countries during the period 2001–2014. The results have showed that environmental regulations do matter for agricultural trade between both regions because in the presence of excessive zero trade observations, they act as significant fixed export costs that affect the probability of trade. More stringent environmental regulations stimulate innovative efforts in cost-saving green technologies, which increase productivity and positively affect agricultural exports. The results have favoured the revisionist Porter hypothesis (PH), according to which environmental regulations may stimulate innovative efforts, which mitigate the negative effects of higher fixed abatement costs and enhance trade competitiveness.     

Do emission subsidies reduce emission? In the context of environmental R&D organization

This paper, which reexamines the Poyago-Theotoky model, provides additional investigation that was conducted under a corrected environmental damage parameter. As new findings, we obtain the following. First, social welfare under a time-consistent emission tax (emission subsidy) policy is always welfare-enhancing rather than the case of laissez-faire. Second, if the environmental damage parameter is sufficiently small, then the equilibrium emission tax rate is invariably negative. It is therefore an emission subsidy. Moreover, total emissions under the emission subsidy scenario become less than those under laissez-faire if the damage parameter is sufficiently small, and if the R&D cost is low. However, total emissions under the emission subsidy become greater than those under laissez-faire if the damage parameter is sufficiently small, and if the R&D cost is high.     

Do ethnic networks influence circular migration? Evidence from the UK

This article identifies ethnic network effects among temporary migrants in the UK. Using microdata from Understanding Society and the UK Census, the empirical results show that ethnic networks change the individual probability for circular migration. These effects are strong and significant only for some ethnicities, when controlling for a set of socio-economic characteristics and when adding spatial variability     

The impact of monetary policy on local housing markets: Do regulations matter?

This paper shows that monetary policy has uneven impacts on local housing markets, and that the magnitude of the impacts are correlated with housing supply regulations. We apply the linearized present value model, which allows the log rent–price ratio to be decomposed into the expected present values of all future real interests rates, real housing premia, and real rent growth, to the housing markets in 23 US metropolitan statistical areas. Based on the indirect inference bias-corrected VAR estimates, we find that MSAs that are more regulated have (i) a higher variance in the log rent–price ratio, (ii) a larger share of the variance explained by real interest rate, and (iii) a stronger impulse response of house price to the real interest rate shock.     

Do political factors influence banking crisis?

This paper investigates the impending political determinants of banking crisis in advanced economies. In particular, we consider the impact of domestic credit growth on the likelihood of banking crisis and analyse possible constraints on the part of the governments in curbing the unsustainable credit growth. The endogeneity corrected results reveal that the household credit growth has greater impact on the likelihood of banking crisis than the enterprise credit growth. The political channel shows that if governments are concerned about domestic approval rates, then there is a higher chance of credit boom, which in turn increases the prospect of banking crisis. Interestingly, the findings reveal that the presence of an independent and well-functioning central bank mitigates the crisis probability and reduces the opportunistic behaviour of governments.     

Do movie contents influence box-office revenues?

This article studies the determinants of box-office revenues in the motion picture industry. We first adopt an approach that takes into account quality signals (e.g. talent concentration, movie budget and Oscar awards, among others) to analyse the empirical relationship between category-specific parenthood ratings (R-ratings) and box-office revenues. Then, by matching movie contents with economic performance records, our original approach reveals that offensive contents like profanity or nudity may be a hindrance to achieve economic returns, while violent contents seems to enhance box-office revenues. Further research is needed to clarify the interaction in this regard between production budget and movie contents.     

环境规制对比较优势的影响

在古典和新古典贸易理论中,一国的贸易模式取决于该国的比较优势。本文的研究结果表明,发达国家环境规制的严格化使得发展中国家重度污染密集型产业的比较优势得到相对的强化,而对中、轻度污染产业的影响则依据产业的不同而不同。文章还以我国纺织服装业为例作了进一步分析。最后,作者从环境规制的完善、产业结构调整及环境成本内在化几个方面提出了政策建议。     

提高中国国际竞争力的几点思考

改革开放30年以来,中国国际竞争力得到不断提升,但基础仍然比较薄弱,国内企业与世界级公司相比仍有较大差距,要进一步提升国际竞争力,须加强政府引导作用,积极扶持中小企业增加投入,创造良好的经济环境.     

我国现行环境政策调整与出口产品“环境竞争力”的提升

加入WTO后,我国要在该组织框架下接受贸易自由化与环境保护两股潮流的双重挑战,应对发达国家层出不穷的绿色贸易壁垒。如何合理调整国内现行的一些与WTO规则相矛盾的环境政策,提升出口产品的环境竞争力,促进我国经济与社会的可持续发展,将是我国加入WTO后急需解决的新问题。本文在对环境竞争力概念进行分析的基础上,界定了影响环境竞争力的主要因素。从国际、国内两个方面论述了当前我国环境政策所面临的挑战,及其调整方向。进而,提出今后提高我国出口产品环境竞争力的对策建议。     

环境规制政策工具对竞争力的影响:度量方法及研究进展

在界定竞争力的含义和度量方法的基础上,从不同政策工具的视角,对国外环境规制与竞争力间关系的理论研究方法和经验分析结论进行综述。在总结国内相关研究的基础上,提出未来的研究方向。     

中国和印度贸易模式的比较研究

中国和印度作为两个较大的发展中国家,具有很多共同点,但在对外贸易上存在很大的差异。研究中国和印度对外贸易上的表现,结果发现:两个国家近年来都有较高的外贸依存度,但中国在世界出口中的比重不断上升,而印度在世界出口中所占的比重很小且保持不变;两个国家的贸易在很大程度上是产业内贸易,中国比印度出口更多复杂和精细的产品。中印两国贸易模式存在差异的主要原因是,中国较早注意利用劳动力资源禀赋发展加工贸易,印度对于外向型经济的相关政策出台较晚。     

中国农产品贸易模式动态分析

本文利用联合国统计署有关农产品统计数据,以改进的比较优势指数为基础,研究了1996-2008年中国农产品比较优势的部门分布情况,及其跨时期演变的变动趋势。研究发现。中国绝大多数农产品不具有比较优势,中国农产品比较优势整体呈下降趋势,贸易模式具有一定的稳定性,而且中国的主要出口农产品与农产品的比较优势并不完全一致。     

中国-东盟农产品贸易持续逆差研究

本文阐述了中国对东盟农产品贸易现状,从不同角度对中国对东盟农产品贸易持续逆差现象及其原因进行了分析,并发现中国对东盟农产品贸易逆差呈总体扩大趋势。得出如下结论:首先,中国-东盟农产品贸易逆差总体呈上升趋势;其次,中国对东盟主要农产品贸易逆差国为马来西亚、印度尼西亚和泰国;再者,主要出口农产品形成的贸易逆差是构成中国对东盟农产品贸易逆差的主要原因之一;最后,中国农产品比较优势下降,东盟主要农产品贸易逆差国的农产品的比较优势较为明显也是引起贸易逆差的原因之一。     

基于竞争力视角下的中国服务贸易发展研究

中国加入服务贸易自由化已是不可逆转的潮流,但由于高级服务要素相对贫乏、技术水平比较落后等原因,中国服务贸易的竞争优势比较微弱。从中长期而言,应审时度势,通过优化中国服务贸易的结构,大力发展国内服务业,建立和完善服务贸易管理体制等措施,进一步提高中国服务贸易的国际竞争力,从贸易大国走向贸易强国。     

浙江省劳动密集型产品比较优势的动态演化——经验分析

针对在浙江省出口商品结构中居于重要地位的劳动密集型产品,计算RSCA指数并构造马尔可夫转移矩阵。实证分析结果表明:整体上看,浙江省劳动密集型产品的比较优势并不强,且分布不均匀;处于强、弱比较优势以及比较劣势三种状态的不同细类产品的比较优势动态变化呈现出不同的持续性、流动性特征,亦具有不同的提升潜力。在此基础上,针对处于不同比较优势状态的劳动密集型产品,从微观、中观、宏观三个层面剖析了比较优势动态演化的深层机理。     

环境责任视角下非正式环境规制对企业绿色技术创新的影响——一个有中介的调节模型

环境问题是影响我国生态经济健康发展的关键,而积极释放环境履责信号来推动绿色技术创新发展则是企业应对经济高质量发展的必然途径,特别是在互联网传媒带来的网络舆论效应凸现的当下,媒介公众的外部舆论压力已成为企业开展绿色创新活动的新驱动力.基于此,本文尝试从环境责任视角,探究公众、媒介外部舆论压力对企业绿色技术创新能力的内在作用机制,引入环保投资作为调节变量,构建相应理论模型,并以2012—2018年重污染上市公司数据为样本,运用固定效应模型开展了实证研究.结果表明:公众关注对企业绿色技术创新具有显著正向影响;媒介关注与企业绿色技术创新间存在"倒U型"关系;公众关注与媒介关注间存在显著的交互作用,且在提高企业绿色技术创新方面存在替代效应;环境责任在媒介关注与企业绿色技术创新的非线性关系中具有完全中介作用;环保投资强化了媒介关注与企业绿色技术创新间的非线性关系,但削弱了公众关注对企业绿色技术创新的影响.