This paper investigates determinants of tariff-cut staging categories that emerged under the recently negotiated U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Staging categories are explained in terms of product characteristics, predicted by the Grossman-Helpman (1995)...

Special treatment for import sensitive products is a feature of all U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). This paper conducts an empirica1 investigation of the determination of tariff-cut staging categories that emerged from negotiations to establish the North American Free Trade Agreement. Staging...