This thesis examines the impact of institutions, especially the financial institutions, on international trade and foreign direct investments. The first four chapters study the financial institutions and their impact on trade and international specialization. Specifically, the first chapter...

This article provides evidence that patent protection can have a positive effect on trade, by analysing the impact of the implementation of intellectual property rights (IPR) in developing countries on the US exports of pharmaceutical products, following intense lobbying efforts from the US...

Globalization probably had less impact on regional inequalities than fiscal distortions

Taking seriously the stylized fact that some countries are more risk averse than others regarding business activities, we examine the consequences on international trade and welfare. When risk is idiosyncratic to each manager's project, international differences in manager's risk-aversion...

Since the 1990s, we have seen a proliferation of bilateral trade agreements. Many of these have encompassed topics that are not directly linked to trade, such as political institutions, sustainable development, labour standards or competition policy. The European Union itself is caught up in...

Labour standards defined by the ILO in 1998 are universal but applied very differently in countries. They are much better respected in high income countries. However, the causality between labour standards and growth remains a controversial issue. The strategies of export-led growth might...