Have the free trade agreements reduced inflation rates?

Noh-Sun Kwark and Hosung Lim

Economics Letters, 2020, vol. 189, issue C

Abstract: Most previous studies have examined extensively the economic effects of free trade agreements (FTAs) such as their effects on economic growth, income distribution across industries, price competitiveness for international trade, trade volume, and the price of a commodity, but not very much on inflation rates. This study empirically estimates how much FTAs affect domestic inflation rates. From the cross-country panel data analysis of 34 OECD countries over the period 1980−2014, the expansion of FTAs shows a significant negative effect on the Consumer Price Index inflation, which is more apparent than the traditionally used openness measure. The inflation reduction effect is more significant in countries with a low level of openness than those with a high level of openness.

Keywords: FTA; Inflation; Panel data analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E31 F15 F62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:189:y:2020:i:c:s0165176520300598

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109054

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