Publication Type

Working Paper

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

1-2012

Abstract

We investigate how a domestic subsidy is treated in an international agreement, when a government, having incentive to use its domestic subsidy as a means of import protection, can disguise its protective use of subsidy as a legitimate intervention with which to address a market imperfection. We show that any optimal agreement, as opposed to the conventional message of the targeting principle, restricts the home government’s freedom to select its domestic subsidy in order to increase the market-access level for foreign exporters. Our finding suggests that a proper restriction on domestic subsidy is somewhere between GATT and WTO rules.

Keywords

Treatment of domestic subsidy, International agreement, GATT/WTO rules

Discipline

International Economics | International Trade Law

Research Areas

International Economics

First Page

1

Last Page

47

Publisher

SMU Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series, No. 26-2012

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

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