Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR

There is not yet consensus in the trade agreements literature as to whether preferential liberalization leads to more or less multilateral liberalization. However, research thus far has focused mostly on tariff measures of import protection. This p...

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Main Authors: Bown, Chad P., Tovar, Patricia
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/10/26871415/preferential-liberalization-antidumping-safeguards-stumbling-block-evidence-mercosur
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25310
id okr-10986-25310
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-253102021-04-23T14:04:29Z Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR Bown, Chad P. Tovar, Patricia preferential trade agreements tariffs MFN antidumping safeguards temporary trade barriers MERCOSUR There is not yet consensus in the trade agreements literature as to whether preferential liberalization leads to more or less multilateral liberalization. However, research thus far has focused mostly on tariff measures of import protection. This paper develops more comprehensive measures of trade policy that include the temporary trade barrier policies of antidumping and safeguards. Studies in other contexts have also shown how these policies can erode some of the trade liberalization gains that arise when examining tariffs alone. This paper examines the experiences of Argentina and Brazil during the formation of the MERCOSUR over 1990-2001. The study finds that an exclusive focus on applied tariffs may lead to a mischaracterization of the relationship between preferential liberalization and liberalization toward non-member countries. First, any "building block" evidence that arises by focusing on tariffs during the period in which MERCOSUR was only a free trade area can disappear, once the analysis includes changes in import protection arise through temporary trade barriers. Furthermore, there is also evidence of a "stumbling block" effect of preferential tariff liberalization for the period in which MERCOSUR became a customs union, and this result tends to strengthen with the inclusion of temporary trade barriers. Finally, the paper provides a first empirical examination of whether market power motives can help explain the patterns of changes in import protection that are observed in these settings. 2016-11-01T17:08:20Z 2016-11-01T17:08:20Z 2016-10 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/10/26871415/preferential-liberalization-antidumping-safeguards-stumbling-block-evidence-mercosur http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25310 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7865 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Latin America & Caribbean Argentina Brazil
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic preferential trade agreements
tariffs
MFN
antidumping
safeguards
temporary trade barriers
MERCOSUR
spellingShingle preferential trade agreements
tariffs
MFN
antidumping
safeguards
temporary trade barriers
MERCOSUR
Bown, Chad P.
Tovar, Patricia
Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR
geographic_facet Latin America & Caribbean
Argentina
Brazil
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7865
description There is not yet consensus in the trade agreements literature as to whether preferential liberalization leads to more or less multilateral liberalization. However, research thus far has focused mostly on tariff measures of import protection. This paper develops more comprehensive measures of trade policy that include the temporary trade barrier policies of antidumping and safeguards. Studies in other contexts have also shown how these policies can erode some of the trade liberalization gains that arise when examining tariffs alone. This paper examines the experiences of Argentina and Brazil during the formation of the MERCOSUR over 1990-2001. The study finds that an exclusive focus on applied tariffs may lead to a mischaracterization of the relationship between preferential liberalization and liberalization toward non-member countries. First, any "building block" evidence that arises by focusing on tariffs during the period in which MERCOSUR was only a free trade area can disappear, once the analysis includes changes in import protection arise through temporary trade barriers. Furthermore, there is also evidence of a "stumbling block" effect of preferential tariff liberalization for the period in which MERCOSUR became a customs union, and this result tends to strengthen with the inclusion of temporary trade barriers. Finally, the paper provides a first empirical examination of whether market power motives can help explain the patterns of changes in import protection that are observed in these settings.
format Working Paper
author Bown, Chad P.
Tovar, Patricia
author_facet Bown, Chad P.
Tovar, Patricia
author_sort Bown, Chad P.
title Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR
title_short Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR
title_full Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR
title_fullStr Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR
title_full_unstemmed Preferential Liberalization, Antidumping, and Safeguards : Stumbling Block Evidence from MERCOSUR
title_sort preferential liberalization, antidumping, and safeguards : stumbling block evidence from mercosur
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2016
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/10/26871415/preferential-liberalization-antidumping-safeguards-stumbling-block-evidence-mercosur
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25310
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