This paper challenges the frequently held position that price, volumes and cost-competitiveness will be enough for export success among apparel producers in supplier countries post-MFA. Based on a review of the growing literature on the changing organization of production and trade regimes in...

In recent academic debates, upgrading has emerged as a key way for developing countries to meet the competitive challenges of globalisation and trade liberalisation. This article draws on global commodity chains literature to comparatively explore the conditions within which upgrading occurs in...

This paper draws on recent field work within South Asia and an extensive review of secondary data to examine the dynamics of cross border trade and investment in South Asia, exploring the potential for, and obstacles to, such trade through the lens of a sector that is salient throughout South...

In the fiercely competitive global environment that has prevailed since the removal of (MFA) quotas in 2005, many textile and apparel suppliers have sought to compete by forming and protecting niches. Building competence in design, branding and retail distribution has been an important part of...

We provide empirical evidence indicating that changes in surface temperatures may directly impact manufacturing output through their impact on worker productivity. We utilize a multi-year panel of manufacturing plants in India, as well as daily worker productivity measures from selected...

At a time when regional production networks have been resurgent, especially in Asia, why has India's integration in regional markets had not been deeper? Using highly disaggregated trade data and an analysis of industry perspectives based on semi-structured interviews with a sample of firms and...

Hotter years are associated with lower economic output in developing countries. We show that the effect of temperature on labor is an important part of the explanation. Using microdata from selected firms in India, we estimate reduced worker productivity and increased absenteeism on hot days....