We incorporate intermediate inputs into a small-union general- equilibrium model and develop the welfare economics of preferential trading under the rules of origin. Combining this analysis with the Grossman-Helpman political-economy model, we demonstrate that the rules of origin can improve the...

The central question addressed in this paper is whether the presence of the MFA made the NAFTA politically more acceptable. Assuming that the government maximizes a weighted sum of welfare and producer profits, we derive four key results. First, taking the initial level of trade restriction as...