The Economies in Transition, The WTO and Regionalism

Pomfret, Richard

doi:10.1007/0-387-22688-5_47

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Scholars debate on the growing number of RTAs and their broad implications, including whether they create trade or divert it from non-RTA members (Bhagwati 1992;Pomfret 2007bPomfret , 2021Baldwin and Seghezza 2010;Powell and Low 2011;Elliott 2018;Bilas 2018). Given the region's weak comparative advantage in the international arena and its undiversified export portfolio (Drobot 2016;Hartwell 2016;Falkowski 2017;Macerinskiene and Sakhanova 2011;Weber and Yang 2011;Mamadiev 2013), the establishment of the EAEU is seen as a protectionist measure to enhance production and global competitiveness.…”

Section: Discussion and Potential Explanations Of The Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Effect of Joining the World Trade Organization on Trade Performance: A Study of CIS Countries

Tanaguzova,

Nanovsky,

Orazgaliyev

2023

Economies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This research delves into the impact of World Trade Organization (WTO) membership on trade dynamics in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, focusing on the potential augmentation or diversion of trade resulting from CIS countries’ WTO accession. The study context is grounded in the interplay between regionalism, represented by regional trade agreements and historical connections, and global integration facilitated by WTO membership. The study also scrutinizes the potentially complicating role of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) regional bloc, referencing the ‘Spaghetti Bowl’ phenomenon of overlapping trade agreements. The gravity model of trade serves as a conceptual foundation to understand the effects of WTO membership and regional trade agreements on trade costs. Empirical results suggest that WTO membership has not enhanced trade for the CIS. Instances of trade within the CIS region where there is only one WTO member have resulted in a positive trend, even though there is no robust evidence that it is due to WTO membership. The EAEU enhances trade and serves as a trading bloc within the region. This study highlights that while the WTO strives to foster trade liberalization and growth, its effects can be region-specific and complex, as demonstrated by the CIS region’s experience. The research also hints at the importance of intra-regional trade and unique regional factors as critical determinants of trade patterns, which can enhance broader trade expansion and economic development.

show abstract