The thesis consists of three empirical essays on trade, specialization and development. The first chapter studies the impact of greater economic integration (namely monetary unions) on trade, specialization and location of firms. Cost reductions due to greater economic integration may have...

"The accessible roadmap to navigating an unpredictable economic earthquake. People are worried about their financial future. The workforce is aging, meaning slower economic growth. Debt is going through the roof, both public and private. Automation and technological revolution are putting people...

One of the most puzzling facts in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) is that output across advanced and emerging economies recovered at a much slower rate than anticipated by most forecasting agencies. This paper delves into the mechanics behind the observed slow recovery and the...

The rise of China was closely associated with the strategic opportunity offered by a wave of globalization dating from the 1970s. As China grew, western growth was not restored. Soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the arrival of the unipolar moment, the world confronted a succession...

The recent large and rapid slowdown in economic activity has resulted in even larger and more rapid declines in international trade. As world trade is set to rebound, this paper addresses three questions: (i) Will trade volumes rebound in a symmetric fashion as world economic growth rebounds?...

While the financial crisis of 2008-2009 led to the great collapse of international trade, the European debt crisis in 2010-2013 did not have such a drastic impact on trade. The collapse has been studied a lot in recent empirical literature, but the European debt crisis has not been investigated...