From Final Goods to Inputs: the Protectionist Effect of Rules of Origin

Paola Conconi, García-Santana, Manuel, Roberto Venturini and Laura Puccio
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Manuel Garcia-Santana

No 11084, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Recent decades have witnessed a surge of trade in intermediate goods and a proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs). FTAs use rules of origin (RoO) to distinguish goods originating from member countries from those originating from third countries. In this paper, we show that the sourcing restrictions embedded in RoO greatly distort trade in intermediaries. We focus on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the world's largest FTA, and construct a unique dataset that allows us to map the input-output linkages in its RoO. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that RoO on final goods reduced imports of intermediate goods from third countries by around 30 percentage points. Even if external tariffs are unchanged, FTAs may thus violate multilateral trade rules, by substantially increasing the level of protection faced by non-members.

Keywords: Input-output linkages; Rules of origin; Trade agreements (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F23 F53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-int
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Related works:
Journal Article: From Final Goods to Inputs: The Protectionist Effect of Rules of Origin (2018)
Working Paper: From final goods to inputs: the protectionist effect of rules of origin (2017)
Working Paper: From final goods to inputs: the protectionist effect of rules of origin (2017)
Working Paper: From Final Goods to Inputs: the Protectionist Effect of Rules of Origin (2017)
Working Paper: From Final Goods to Inputs: the Protectionist Effect of Rules of Origin (2016)
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