Colombia and the NAFTA

Abstract:     
This paper presents an overview of the most recent trade policy reforms in Colombia and a brief analysis of their potential effects on this country's trade flows. This set the stage for the main objective of this paper: a preliminary general equilibrium assessment of the economic effects of Colombia's hypothetical accession to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The results indicate that such an arrangement, dubbed here NAFTA+, has significant implications for Colombia, but very limited effects upon the NAFTA incumbents, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This follows intuitively from the size and proximity of the participating economies, but the sectoral and employment adjustments in Colombia are complex and would be difficult to anticipate from heuristic, partial equilibrium, or aggregate analysis. Generally speaking, Colombia would be a significant beneficiary of a NAFTA+ agreement, but the ensuing adjustments intensify traditional patterns of comparative advantage for this economy and, absent other co-ordinated policies, might undermine modernisation and sustainable growth. These results have implications for many NAFTA aspirants, but should not be generalised too freely. Each prospective entry should be evaluated by the same detailed empirical analysis as it is proposed for the Colombian case.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 31

JEL Classification: D58, F13, F15

working papers series