Mexico experienced a tremendous expansion of its export-processing maquila sector during the 1990s. At the same time, a large proportion of its labor force remains employed in the informal sector. Since one of the main objectives of the maquiladora program was to increase formal employment, we...

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, China has rolled out a number of initiatives to actively promote the international role of the renminbi and to denominate more of its international claims away from the US dollar and into the renminbi. This paper discusses the factors shaping the prospects...

Are product standards protectionism in disguise? This paper estimates the costs of non-compliance with U.S. product standards, using a new database on U.S. import refusals from 2002 to 2012. We find that import refusals significantly decrease exports to the United States. This trade reducing...

This manual provides guidance on how to measure and interpret measurements of globalisation's extent and intensity. The manual defines concepts and puts forward guidelines for data collection and fine-tuning of globalisation indicators. In particular, it looks at indicators related to foreign...

This paper provides an assessment of the impact of a package of structural reforms in the European Union and the United States on long-run trade and output gains accruing to OECD countries. The package includes reforms that reduce competition-restraining regulations, cut tariff barriers and ease...

This paper provides an assessment of the impact of a package of structural reforms in all OECD countries on their long-run trade and output gains. The package includes reforms that reduce competition-restraining regulations, cut tariff barriers and ease restrictions on foreign direct investment...

Since the end of the 1980s, the increasing globalisation of corporate activities (in both the manufacturing and service sectors) in OECD Member countries has spilled over into the telecommunication sector, thus creating fundamental changes in the paradigm of international telecommunication...

Multinational enterprises are often accused to have a preference for investing in countries in which the working populations' civil and political rights are largely disregarded. This paper presents an empirical investigation of the popular "political repression boosts FDI" hypothesis and arrives...

This report, published by the OECD's International Futures Program in cooperation with the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Center in Australia, aims to stimulate informed debate about the main integration issues facing the Asia-Pacific region in the decades ahead. It examines such issues as how the...