Padrões de eficiência no comércio: definições e implicações normativas [Trade efficiency standards: definitions and normative implications]

This paper discusses the relationship between efficiency standards and specialization in trade. The assumption is that in order to define trade specialization, it is necessary to have a prior idea of economic efficiency. The main argument is that this background knowledge is a necessary condition in order to appreciate the allocation and dynamic technical-productive implications associated with any given specialization standard, including with regards to the possibilities of trade-offs between different criteria of efficiency in trade.