Trends in Market Openness

Jonathan Coppel () and Martine Durand

No 221, OECD Economics Department Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: Widening imbalances in current account positions across some of the major OECD economic areas have raised concerns about related increases in protectionist sentiments. This paper reviews recent trends in market openness indicators and assesses whether barriers to international trade and investment have risen. It finds that tariffs, the most transparent form of protection, have fallen steadily over a long period. Usage of non-tariff barriers also declined up to 1996. But despite these developments most OECD countries continue to highly protect certain sectors such as agriculture. The paper reviews in some depth the incidence, geographical distribution and product composition of anti-dumping initiations, since their use as disguised protection is feared. Against the background of a general decline in direct trade restrictions the paper shows, using a variety of indicators the steady - albeit uneven across sectors and countries - improvement in market openness. The study also examines ... Le creusement des déséquilibres des paiements courants entre certaines grandes zones économiques de l’OCDE a fait craindre une montée des sentiments protectionnistes. Ce papier étudie l’évolution récente des indicateurs d’ouverture des marchés et évalue si les obstacles aux échanges et aux investissements internationaux se sont accrus. Il constate que les droits de douane, la forme la plus transparente de protectionnisme, ont diminué régulièrement sur une longue période. Le recours aux obstacles non tarifaires s’est aussi inscrit en repli jusqu’en 1996. Mais en dépit de ces évolutions la plupart des pays de l'OCDE continuent à fortement protéger certains secteurs tels que l’agriculture. Cette étude analyse l’incidence, la distribution géographique et la composition par produits des mesures antidumping, car l’on craint leur utilisation comme moyen déguisé de protection. Dans ce contexte de recul général des mesures visant à restreindre les échanges, ce papier montre en s’appuyant ...

Date: 1999-08-04
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:221-en

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