In a small open economy model where imports (exports) are differentiated by region of origin (destination), the welfare effects of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) are considered. Trade creation is found to be a concave function of pre-union partner trade shares. This contrasts with earlier...

We consider analytically and numerically the welfare tradeoffs inherent in a preferential trade area (PTA) with products differentiated by region of origin. For a small open economy in such a setting, welfare gains are associated with higher trade volumes within the PTA. However, welfare losses...

We analyze the impact of economic integration on the activities of multinational enterprises in a general equilibrium model with asymmetric countries. Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows are likely only to the extent that multinationals have not already shifted production to the integrating...

Preferential trade liberalization has gained more support in recent years from developed and developing countries, with the former hoping that such liberalization will attract more foreign investment. However, the mechanisms by which FDI inflows might increase (if at all) are poorly understood....