Essays on Rules of Origin (RoO) in North-South Preferential Trade Agreements

Download or read book Essays on Rules of Origin (RoO) in North-South Preferential Trade Agreements written by Luis Alberto Portugal Perez and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is genuine interest on market access conditions and potential benefits reaped by developing countries from North-South preferential trade agreements. Because of its discriminatory nature, preferential agreements must distinguish between goods originating in member countries from those produced in non-members for the purpose of granting preferential access. Rules of Origin (RoO) - determining the criteria for a good to be deemed as "sufficiently transformed" - are required for such differentiation. Nevertheless, well organized-interest groups can influence them so that trade is restricted and the benefits from improved market access, originally pursued by the preferential agreement, are diluted by the costs of compliance. The four essays of this dissertation contribute to the understanding of how RoO affect trade, what political-economy forces shape them, and what is their impact on economic welfare, especially from the point of view of developing countries.