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This paper studies how international trade affects emigration in developing countries. This is a new aspect as previous studies investigated the impact of immigration on trade from host countries perspective. However, there are also reasons to believe that trade may affect the propensity to emigrate in the home countries, leading to potential brain drain in developing countries, especially given the theoretical hypothesis in Stolper–Samuelson (S–S) theorem within Heckscher–Ohlin (H–O) factor-proportion model that more educated workers are more likely to emigrate due to an increase in international trade. When low-skill abundant developing countries liberalize trade, the reward of the scarce factor (skilled labor) is reduced in these countries, but it increases in the high-skill abundant developed countries. Therefore, skilled workers in the developing countries see a strong incentive to migrate to developed countries. To test this hypothesis, this paper utilizes a panel of 133 developing countries for the period of 1980–2010 and finds that high-skilled workers are more likely to emigrate with trade while there appears to be no effect of trade on low-skilled workers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper attempts to investigate the extent to which trade openness has had an impact on the levels of income and rates of growth in a sample of 115 developing countries for the period 1970–2009. Additionally, to assess whether there is an income level threshold for a country to benefit from international trade, the sample is broken down into three mutually exclusive groups of countries: low-income, lower middle-income, and upper middle-income countries. The main novelty of the paper lies on the use, on the one hand, of a new and better trade openness measure and, on the other hand, of non-stationary heterogeneous panel cointegration techniques to cope with the problem of cross-sectional dependence. The results show a positive bi-directional relationship between trade openness and income level in the long run, thus suggesting that trade openness is both a cause and a consequence of the level of income. The results for the short run, that is, the link between openness growth and economic growth, go in the same direction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the literature on trade liberalization and economic development. It also briefly looks at the theory of comparative advantage which is seen as justification for global trade liberalization under the auspices of the World Trade Organization. The study is important because once again the international institutions strongly advocate trade liberalization in the developing countries. Such policies may increase vulnerability and make the developing countries further hostages to international finance capital. It seems that trade liberalization is being presented as a suitable developmental strategy for developing countries despite weak empirical findings. It appears that with the current agenda of universal trade liberalization, not only will development space shrink but also self-determination and economic sovereignty will be undermined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article explores two questions. First, do preferential trade agreements (PTAs) affect manufactured goods exports of developing countries? Second, does it matter for developing countries whom they sign the PTAs with? We find that the answer to both questions is yes. Using bilateral manufactured goods exports data from 28 developing countries during 1978–2005; we find that South–South PTAs have a significantly positive effect on manufactured goods exports. In contrast, no such effect is detected in the case of South–North PTAs. We confirmed the robustness of these findings to estimation methodology, sample selection, time period, zero trade flows and multilateral trade resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on world-system theorizing to explore the relationship between deforestation and the vertical flow of soybean exports from less-developed nations to more-developed nations as a specific form of ecologically unequal exchange. Despite overwhelming case-study research exploring soybean–deforestation dynamics in less-developed countries, the current literature lacks any cross-national investigation of this trend. Ordinary least squares regression is used to examine whether soybean exports are associated with deforestation and if the magnitude of this relationship varies by region. Overall, the findings confirm the proposed hypotheses and suggest that having a comparative advantage in soybean production is not a viable development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1990s, around the world, government policies on FDI were unequivocally FDI -friendly. Numerous policy changes were enacted to make the investment climate more favourable to FDI. However, over the past few years a range of countries has enacted policy measures less favourable to FDI. Does this represent an overall shift in FDI policy thinking? And, if so, what are the current drivers of such a change? This paper discusses trends in contemporary FDI policy and the role played by prevailing narratives, actors and the changing context in shaping policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have developed a model that sets out to explain the existence of megacities in developing countries, in the context of a Krugman-type core-periphery model. The paper also suggests that agglomeration can be fostered by manufacturers mainly serving the domestic market. However, the analysis goes further by emphasising that megacities are not only the result of protective trade policies, but also the consequence of the relative position of a country, in terms of industrialisation, with respect to the rest of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether India's liberalization of machinery and machine tools since the mid-1980s has led to the use of more recent vintages and/or better quality equipment. Empirical tests compare the weight-adjusted unit values of India's imports with those of China, and also of the USA and Germany. Regression analyses use the five-digit and eight-digit SITC data of imports of those countries from the UK. For each of three years (1987, 1994 and 1996), India's weight-adjusted unit values were lower than those of the other countries. Further, over that 9-year period, the gap between India's unit values and those of the others did not decrease. A possible explanation is that India's reforms have not yet had sufficient time to have an effect and that this may require that enterprises undertake a greater effort to search for more recent vintages and also develop the technological capabilities and skills required for their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UNCTAD's work in the field of ports started, soon after its establishment in 1964, as a result of a 'Common measure of understanding on shipping questions'. It resulted in a three pronged effort in research, training and technical assistance, carried by the secretariat in close collaboration with the industry. Technical publications were published and are widely used by practitioners throughout the world. Port managers and government officials responsible for ports in developing countries were the beneficiaries of large-scale training programmes. Technical assistance to improve port services was conducted in several developing countries. During the 1990s, new mandates were agreed in the field of transport in which ports are not explicitly mentioned. This paper argues that the stakes in ports are so vital for trading countries, notably those seeking accelerated economic development, that a broad interpretation of the current mandate is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the contribution of trade and of industrialization to the development of newly industrialized countries in Asia. Characteristics of trade; Composition of exports by areas and markets; Concentration of principal exports.

Utilizes the classification of developing countries according to their trade orientation that has been made available by the World Bank. Relationship between international trade and economic development; Composition of trade-orientation country groups from 1963 to 1985; Time series results for all the countries used for the entire given period.

Examines the history of industrialization in less developed countries (LDC) of the capitalist world under import-substituting industrialization and export-oriented industrialization. Reasons for the inefficient allocation of resources; Intrinsic problem of government interference; Static inefficiency of industry in LDC; Ways to achieve import-substitution of capital goods.

Discusses the relation between the cyclical nature of the internal real processes of a national economy and foreign trade volume by focusing on the Hungarian economy. Effects of foreign trade limitations in Kalecki's model; Two-gap model reflecting foreign trade limitations in the growth concept of underdeveloped countries; Relation between investment cycle and Hungary's trade with socialist as well as capitalist countries.

`This paper examines the export performance of the four Asian newly industrialized economies (NIEs) by modelling their bilateral export flows to three main OECD blocks: the USA, Japan, and the European Community. Our estimated export demand models reveal interesting asymmetries between these three areas of destination which do not emerge from previous aggregate empirical studies of NIE export performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the prima facie causal relationship between the exports and output growth in 30 developing countries over the period from 1960 to 1988 in a multivariate framework. The information set considered for the output and exports models are Ω=(domestic output, exports, labor and capital), and Ω=(exports, domestic output, exchange rate and foreign output) respectively. This study identities a feedback prima facie causal relationship between exports and output growth in five countries, export growth prima facie causes output growth in another six countries; output growth prima facie causes export growth in a further eight countries; and no causal relationship was observed between export growth and output growth in the remaining 11 countries. We also found that in 15 countries the foreign exchange rate prima facie caused export growth, and that in 12 countries world output caused export growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New growth theory has emphasized the role of human capital and economies of scale in promoting sustained growth. This paper discusses the sources of rapid growth in Asian newly industrializing countries (NICs) in recent times by applying some econometric tests of new growth theory. The Korean economy is considered as an example of the successful NICs in Asia, where three types of empirical tests are applied based on the modern theory of cointegration, the dominal role of demand and the existence of significant scale economies due to human capital. The empirical growth profile of Korea in recent times seems to vindicate the broad tenets of the new growth theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the relevant literature on the link between economic growth and external debt accumulation of less developed countries (LDCs), this study seeks to identify the variables leading countries to experience debt servicing difficulties. Discriminant analysis was used to distinguish between the rescheduling and non-rescheduling countries. The available data are the values of financial ratios for 75 LDCs in 1988. The common log and sin transformation were applied to the ratios, resulting in variables that satisfied the discriminant function model. Ten variables representing debt burden, foreign exchange position and domestic economy situation were found significant in exploring the rescheduling decision. The model can be useful for both the financial institutions and the borrowing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with the problems of reproduction in developing countries. Information on the crisis of the system of international economic relations in contemporary capitalism; Discussion of the export marketing problem in less developed countries; Problems of accumulation in developing countries and foreign trade.

The paper introduces a series of articles about economics and international trade. The gap in income and wealth between the rich and the poor countries is ever widening. Ha-Joon Chang is a trade economist and historian who strongly contends that at the heart of trade theory lies a flaw when it comes to developing countries. Infant industries often need protecting, he argues. In fact, every rich economy today protected its infant industries on its way to development in the 1800s and through much of the early 1900s. Thomas Palley, a Washington economist who works for George Soros's Open Society Institute, also maintains that world trade is at a turning point. He also believes that poor countries must become more willing to accept labor and environmental standards. He believes it is up to Democrats in Washington to take the lead on the issue. Michael Perelman in his article traces several historical cases to show how tight patent laws have harmed technological progress in the U.S. The issue also features an interview with a French doctoral student, Gilles Raveaud, by an American economist, Richard McIntyre, about an eruption in the French academic establishment that is being taken very seriously in France.

Countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, and Brazil--most of them considered "backward" as recently as 20 years ago--now churn out television sets, integrated circuits, steel, and automobiles. The remarkable economic transition of these newly industrialized countries (NICs) poses a tremendous economic and political challenge to the United States and other industrial countries. The NICs provide over half of United States imports of consumer manufactures. While the giant trade surpluses of the Asian Tigers are largely due to trade with the United States, their prosperity has not come at America's expense. And while they are slowly opening their economies to trade, some stubborn barriers to imports remain. The United States absorbs nearly half of developing-country exports of manufactured products, most of which come from the Asian Tigers and Mexico. Europe takes 25 percent of developing-country exports, and Japan takes 10 percent. Clearly, Europe and Japan should be doing more to stimulate demand, but the capacity of all industrial nations to absorb new imports from the emerging NICs and poorer developing countries is much greater than supposed.