Liberalizing NAFTA Rules of Origin: A Dynamic CGE Analysis

Patrick Georges ()

Review of International Economics, 2008, vol. 16, issue 4, pages 672-691

Abstract: Most computable general-equilibrium (CGE) studies assessing the welfare impact of moving from a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to a deeper form of integration, for example a customs union (CU), typically proxy the integration as the adoption of a common external tariff toward the rest of the world. However, a CU is also an arrangement that allows for the elimination of FTAs' preferential rules of origin (ROO), which is typically not captured in CGE studies. This paper addresses the issue using a multicountry, multisector dynamic CGE model. Although the removal of distortionary ROO is likely to lower the unit costs of production within North America, it may also deteriorate North American terms of trade with the rest of the world. Thus, the net effect of the removal of NAFTA ROO on welfare is ambiguous and is an empirical issue. Copyright © 2008 The Author. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Date: 2008

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9396.2008.00771.x link to full text (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:reviec:v:16:y:2008:i:4:p:672-691

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0965-7576

Access Statistics for this article

Review of International Economics is edited by E. Kwan Choi

More articles in Review of International Economics from Blackwell Publishing
Series data maintained by Christopher F. Baum ().