Our paper deals with econometric developments for the estimation of the gravity model whichlead to convergent parameter estimates even when a correlation exists between theexplanatory variables and the specific unobservable characteristics of each unit. Weimplement panel data econometric...

This paper analyses trade specialisation dynamics in two Eastern European countries(Romania and Bulgaria – EEC-2) vis-à-vis the core EU member states (EU-15) over theperiod 1990-2006. Specifically, we focus on whether there is a shift towards intra-industrytrade leading to economic...

Although empirical evidence available suggests that information and communication technologies (ICT) have positively contributed to important sectors of the Mexican economy, it is still unknown to which extent ICT have truly contributed to productivity among these sectors. The increasing...

We analyze the effects of offshoring in a multisector-growth-model where the sectors differ by TFP-growth. Our results imply that offshoring influences the long run grwoth rate of the economy along different channels and that the grwoth effects depend on the development of terms of trade and on...

This paper examines the interactions between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), inequality, and growth, both from a theoretical and an empirical point of view. We set up a growth model of a dual economy in which the traditional (agricultural) sector uses a diminishing returns technology, while FDI...

We revisit the debt overhang question. We first use non-parametric techniques to isolate a panel of countries on the downward sloping section of a debt Laffer curve. In particular, overhang countries are ones where a threshold level of debt is reached in sample, beyond which (initial) debt ends...

The empirical relationship between trade protection and economic growth is surprisinglyfragile, as shown in a number of other papers. After demonstrating this empiricalsensitivity, we address one possible explanation for these findings: that the relationshipis nonlinear. Following the endogenous...

This paper constructs a two-country stochastic growth model in which neutraland investment-specic technology shocks are nonstationary but cointegrated acrosseconomies. It uses this model to interpret data showing that while real investmenthas grown faster than real consumption in the United...

In an inuential article Tornell and Lane (1999) considered an economy populatedby multiple powerful groups in which property rights in the formal sectorof production are not protected. They obtained conditions under which thegroups appropriate output from the formal sector in order to invest it...

We use plant output and input prices to decompose the profit margin into four parts:productivity, demand shocks, mark-ups and input costs. We find that each of these marketfundamentals are important in explaining plant exit. We then use variation across sectors intariff changes after the...