Standard trade theory suggests that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) could disrupt trade between members and non-members. However, the trade diversion effects of FTAs have not been thoroughly examined empirically. Using a novel empirical approach, we confirm that FTAs that entered into force...

Using NAFTA as an illustrating example, I show that heterogeneity in the effects of free trade agreements (FTAs) both within and across agreements is not very well understood. Not only has NAFTA reduced trade frictions significantly more than other FTAs, but each NAFTA member country has enjoyed...

We estimate geographic barriers to trade in nine service categories for Canada's provinces from 1997 to 2007 with novel high quality bilateral provincial trade data. The border directly reduces average provincial trade with the US relative to interprovincial trade to 2.4% of its borderless...