We analyse the impact of relaxing rules of origin (ROOs) in a simple setting with heterogeneous firms that buy intermediate inputs from domestic and foreign sources. In particular, we consider the impact of switching from bilateral to diagonal cumulation when using preferences (instead of paying...

This paper documents the within firm reallocation of inputs and outputs as a result of a trade policy shock on the input side. A unique firm-input level dataset for India with information on different raw material inputs used in production, enables us to identify firms with imported inputs...

Import regulations are globally the most prevalent form of intervention in international trade. The regulations should, under rules of the WTO, protect consumers and the environment but can be used to protect producers. We investigate the ambiguity of intent. We set out a model that when applied...

This paper examines the determinants of “echoing” in antidumping (AD) cases (i.e., different countries sequentially imposing AD measures on the same product from the same exporter). We develop a dynamic game in which two competing importers can choose to impose an AD duty on a third...

This paper analyses how an antidumping procedure in one country may lead to identical procedures targeting similar products originating from the same countries under other foreign antidumping statutes. The concept of 'echoing' protection is elaborated to describe the phenomenon of contingent...

As labor provisions in regional trade agreements proliferate, critics contend that they are used for protectionist purposes. Existing categories of labor clauses lead to inconsistent empirical results. We propose and apply a new typology for labor clauses to all WTO-notified regional trade...

We provide a synthesis of the theoretical models that study the use of escape clauses, also known as safeguards, in multilateral and preferential trade agreements. We consider models that explain this type of flexibility based on economic efficiency, political economy shocks, and...

This paper studies the distributional costs to US consumers of country-specific tariffs. By linking detailed household purchase records with a barcode-specific country-of-origin, I estimate a demand model with both detailed consumer heterogeneity and rich import substitution patterns in the face...

Policymakers often intervene in markets to protect domestic producers against foreign competitors. Two such interventions are import tariffs and production subsidies, both of which are, in general, costly. Tariffs on foreign producers, while generating revenues for the policymaker, may impose...

We develop a method to measure the incidence of monopolistic markup distortions in the global economy. Using semi-parametric formulas, we measure how trade modifies the deadweight loss of markups through two channels: (1) trade-induced change in markup dispersion, and (2) international...