Publication Type

Working Paper

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

12-2010

Abstract

This paper reexamines the GATT/WTO membership effect on bilateral trade flows, using nonparametric methods including pair-matching, permutation tests, and a Rosenbaum (2002) sensitivity analysis. Together, these methods provide an estimation framework that is robust to misspecification biases, allows general forms of heterogeneous treatment effects, and addresses potential hidden selection biases. This is in contrast to most conventional parametric studies on this issue. Our results suggest large GATT/WTO trade-promoting effects, robust to various restricted matching criteria, alternative indicators for GATT/WTO involvement, different matching methodologies, non-random incidence of positive trade flows, and inclusion of multilateral resistance terms.

Keywords

Trade flow, Treatment effect, Matching, Permutation test, Signed-rank test, Sensitivity analysis.

Discipline

International Business | International Economics

Research Areas

International Economics

First Page

1

Last Page

45

Publisher

SMU Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series, No. 31-2010

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Comments

Published in Journal of International Economics, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2011.05.011

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