The paper uses nonparametric methodology to examine the role of institutions in understanding differential levels of development across countries. By using the Li-Racine (2004) generalized kernel estimation methodology, our paper allows a deeper look into the impact of institutions on...

With diminishing tariff s, the focus of trade policy makers and analysts is logically turning towards non-tariff barriers (NTBs), but there much remains to be done. It is well-know that tackling NTBs poses many challenges for the analyst because of their diverse and complex nature, and the lack...

The implications of trade in services liberalization on poverty alleviation, on welfare and on the overall development prospects of developing countries remain at the hearth of the debate on the interlinkages between trade and development. Assessing the actual and potential implications of...

This paper describes a data-intensive methodology to generate indices that indicate “revealed” factor intensity of traded goods, at the most disaggregated level of product classification (SITC 5-digit or HS 6-digit). We construct the indices by calculating, for each good, a weighted average...

In terms of economic development, it makes a difference whether export increases at the extensive (new trade flows) or intensive margin (traditional, well-established trade flows). Similarly, a decline in international trade may affect new flows relatively more than traditional ones. A more...

South–South trade has shown a signifi cant increase in the past decade, with a higher rate of growth than international trade. Asian countries, particularly the "tigers" and "dragons" among them, dominate South–South trade in terms of trade value. But trade complementarity among developing...

Using a detailed data set at the tariff line level, we find an emulator effect of multilateralism on subsequent regional trade agreements (RTAs) involving the United States. We exploit the variation in the frequency with which the United States grants immediate duty free access (IDA) to its RTA...

The paper aims to examine the role of institutions relative to economic policy and geography in explaining the diff erential level of development across countries over time. To that end, it att empts to construct a Development Quality Index (DQI) and an Institutional Quality Index (IQI) using...

A widely used tool in law and development programmes is the supply of well-designed laws from the outside. This method of law development has now been embraced by international organizations as a way to improve the legal framework for global markets. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has...

This paper examines the implications of some of the main features of the globalization process for developing countries. It also makes several proposals for developing countries in considering national-level policies to face the globalization challenge, as well as coordination among developing...