International pressure to revalue China’s currency stems in part from the expectation that rapid economic growth should be associated with a real exchange rate appreciation. This hinges on the Balassa-Samuelson hypothesis under which economic growth is due to relative tradable productivity...

This paper examines empirically whether and how regional integration leads to convergence and growth amongst developing countries. Using standard growth models for nearly 100 developing countries over 1970-2004 we cannot establish robust growth effects of regional integration as such at the...

Recent research has emphasised the role of trade in productivity growth. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate how regional integration, and the different treatment of member and non-member imports, affects the relation between imports and productivity growth. We focus on the...

This study identifies income convergence in Europe over 1960 to 2012. The Great Recession since 2008 reversed the GDP per capita convergence in the EU-15, but the extransition countries have mostly continued to catch up. We found this by analysing the Sigma convergence of GDP per capita in the...

Some of the findings from new trade and economic geography theory are quite critical concerning the South-South agreements. This study contributes to the discussion by means of different empirical analyses of a representative set of South-South integrations. The income developments of its member...

The paper analyses the process of real convergence of the New Member States of the European Union. Its importance is underlined in connection with a successful catching-up and a special attention is paid to the countries involved in the fifth European enlargement, with the exception of Cyprus...

Eastward enlargement of the Eurozone will result in transition economies sharing a currency with well-established market economies. We compare the suitability of the candidates relative to current members at a similar time before joining, as well as their readiness to comply with Maastricht...

In this paper, advanced economies are aggregated into ‘North’ whereas ‘South’ comprises the less advanced ones. Trade induced technology diffusion is source of enriched technological contents. We also consider two scenarios: (i—“hub and spokes [HAS]”) the North establishes separate...

In the postwar era, economic interaction and integration among Western European countries has grown rapidly. We examine whether those close and growing linkages have led to inter-country income convergence in Western Europe during 1960-2000. We find clear empirical evidence of convergence. This...

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...