Non-Preferential Trading Clubs

24 Pages Posted: 6 Nov 2002

See all articles by Pascalis Raimondos

Pascalis Raimondos

Queensland University of Technology - School of Economics and Finance; Copenhagen Business School - Department of Economics; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Alan D. Woodland

University of New South Wales

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 2002

Abstract

This Paper examines the welfare implications of non-discriminatory tariff reforms by a subset of countries, which we term a non-preferential trading club. We show that there exist coordinated tariff reforms, accompanied by appropriate income transfers between these countries, which unambiguously increase the welfare of these member countries while leaving the welfare of non-members unaltered. These tariff reforms are chosen to maintain world prices at their pre-club levels and, in this respect, the trading clubs act in a Kemp-Wan-like manner. In terms of economic policy implications, our results show that there exist regional, MFN-consistent arrangements that lead to Pareto improvements in world welfare. Open regionalism is an example of such trading arrangements.

Keywords: Trading clubs, non-preferential tariff policies, open regionalism, customs unions, Kemp-Wan proposition

JEL Classification: F15

Suggested Citation

Raimondos, Pascalis and Woodland, Alan D., Non-Preferential Trading Clubs (October 2002). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=348560

Pascalis Raimondos (Contact Author)

Queensland University of Technology - School of Economics and Finance ( email )

GPO Box 2434
2 George Street
Brisbane, Queensland 4001
Australia

Copenhagen Business School - Department of Economics ( email )

Solbjergs Plads 3
DK-2000 Frederiksberg C
Denmark
+45 38 152 594 (Phone)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

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Munich, DE-81679
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.CESifo.de

Alan D. Woodland

University of New South Wales ( email )

School of Economics
Sydney, NSW 2052
Australia
61293859707 (Phone)
61293136337 (Fax)

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