E-Thesis 505 views
Essays in International Trade / JAMIL AL-MAJALI
Swansea University Author: JAMIL AL-MAJALI
DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.63593
Abstract
The current global trade system is in a state of flux. With the rise of global economies and an increasing number of countries participating in the world trade market, preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are becoming more popular. Several questions have arisen, ranging from the rationale for prefer...
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Swansea, Wales, UK
2023
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | O'Leary, N. C. and Debowicz, D. J. |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63593 |
| Abstract: |
The current global trade system is in a state of flux. With the rise of global economies and an increasing number of countries participating in the world trade market, preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are becoming more popular. Several questions have arisen, ranging from the rationale for preferential arrangements to the effects of these agreements on member countries. This thesis contributes to the literature in three ways. First, it highlights the importance of PTAs negotiation in the international trade system. It presents a gravity-based assessment of the length of trade negotiations, examining the impact on the trade-enhancement effect of the preferential trade agreements. Second, it discusses the importance of tariff reduction policy on the Household income distribution, using the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the trade liberalization in Vietnam using the most recent social accounting matrix (SAM). Finally, it highlights the effect of the quality of institutions on the membership of trade agreements using a gravity-based Heckman selection model. The key insight is that the trade-enhancement effect of (PTAs) has dropped between the agreement members in response to the longer trade negotiations. In addition, the trade liberalization in Vietnam has been detrimental to the Household income distribution. The trade simulations confirmed that under Vietnam’s trade liberalization, the welfare of all household groups would be positively affected by factor price changes. Regarding the political aspects of PTAs, the results suggest that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries are more likely to enter a trade agreement with politically closer countries, and both have better institutional quality presented by their level of control of corruption. Also, the more years since the most recent regime change, the less likely MENA countries will enter a trade agreement. |
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| Keywords: |
Trade Agreements and Negotiations, Economic Globalization, Trade Policy and Regulation, Trade Barriers and Tariffs, Trade and Income Inequality |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |