The stumbling-bloc argument asserts that regionalism hinders MFN tariff cutting. If this was of first-order importance over previous decades, we should detect this in the levels of the tariffs. Using tariff line data for 23 large trading nations we find that MFN and PTA tariffs are complements,...

This paper studies co-movements in real output growth across countries of Latin America in the sample period 1970-2007. To detect the change over time, correlations in real growth are analyzed over two sub-samples: 1970-1986 and 1987-2007. Correlation coefficients detect co-movements in real...

This paper explores the growth implications of regional integration. From the theory, it identifies the ‘footprints’ that such growth should leave in the data. It then checks the data on the four poor EU nations for such footprints. Prima facie evidence for Ireland, Portugal and Spain...

Trade relations between Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC Countries) is very strong and has been growing at very high rates during the last twenty years. In 1996, Japan imported more than 65% of its crude oil from the GCC Countries. The GCC countries’ imports from Japan...