Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Extensive research has demonstrated the existence of large potential welfare gains from measures to facilitate tradereduce trade costsfor African countries in particular.However, concerns have been expressed by policymakers regarding the distribution of the benefits and costs of trade facilitation.We use firm-level data for a large number of developing countries, in Africa and the rest of the world, to assess the claims that it will be mostly large firms that benefit from trade facilitation and that trade facilitation may result in a deterioration of the trade balance.We find no evidence for either argument.Our results suggest that trade facilitation can be beneficial in a range of countries, including those that are primarily involved in value chains as suppliers.
Source: Journal of African Trade
Authors: Bernard Hoekman, Ben Shepherd
Language: English
Topic: Global trade and economics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2178786287