Most economists consider the debate on free trade closed for all practical purposes. DLUHOSCH, FREYTAG and KRUEGER [1998] criticize an earlier paper by BATRA and BELADI [1996] and argue that freer trade has contributed to a rise in US growth of investment and social welfare. Using raw figures,...

This paper shows the non-optimality of the free trade policy in a labour-surplus economy where multinational corporations operate in the importable sector with distortions in the capital market. It then examines the welfare implications of alternative trade interventions policies. The paper...

We analyze the design of international environmental agreements (IEA) for developing countries (DCs) by a supranational governmental authority (SNGA). We focus on the interaction between an asymmetrically informed SNGA, national governments, and polluting firms in DCs. Two scenarios are...

In the context of non-diversifiable and sector-specific risks in labour markets, we show that the resulting factor market distortion - attributable to an endogenous intersectoral wage differential - can provide a possible rationale that explains why larger wage dispersion prevails in developing...

In terms of a simple model, it is shown that the growth in the export processing zone through an influx of foreign-owned capital reduces welfare for an economy importing capital-intensive goods and following a protectionary policy. Similarly, it follows that growth in the export-processing zone...

In this paper, by using a generalized Harris-Todaro model that incorporates an urban non-polluting sector, and supposes a dual economy inherent in an LDC, we examine the backward incidence of pollution control on some key variables of interest. Given a relatively capital intensive polluting...

We introduce international labor mobility in a three-sector general equilibrium model with rural-urban migration. We demonstrate that under some reasonable conditions an inflow of foreign skilled labor (capital) can reduce skilled-unskilled wage inequality.

We visit the role of privatization in the location decision of firms in an industry where no firm can produce all varieties demanded. We demonstrate that the Nash equilibrium locations are socially optimal, in the presence of a publicly owned firm, notwithstanding the degree of privatization.

Using a dual structure depicting a developing economy, this paper shows that an increase in asset inequality can lead to wage inequality between skilled and unskilled labor. In addition, increasing asset inequality raises the luxury goods price and hence the unemployment ratio. These effects...