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A gravity model is developed to explain bilateral trade flows in primary and processed commodities within the same agri-food supply chain. It accounts for vertical production linkages, trade and domestic policies, and supply rigidities at the farm level. Our application focuses on cattle/beef trade flows between 42 countries. The estimated parameters of the model are used to simulate trade flows. We found large differences in the impacts of the full and partial liberalization scenarios. A parametric bootstrap procedure is used to generate confidence intervals around predicted trade liberalization outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We investigate the effectiveness of the TRIPS Agreement in triggering changes to countries' intellectual property rights (IPR) protection regimes in a panel econometric model. The effects of the TRIPS Agreement on IPR protection vary across countries at different stages of development. Developed countries, where IPR protection regimes closely resembled TRIPS Agreement obligations before implementation, were not significantly affected. Developing countries significantly responded to the TRIPS Agreement by tightening IPR protection regimes. The empirical evidence suggests that the TRIPS Agreement has been successful in coercing WTO member countries to strengthen domestic protection of IPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the effects of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) on trade, sales of foreign affiliates of multinational enterprises, and total bilateral commerce (aggregate of both trade ands sales of foreign affiliates) in the manufacturing sector. The empirical investigation is carried out over a panel dataset covering the US bilateral transactions with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries for the period 1983-1998. The empirical specification is guided by a gravity-based model that accounts for trade and the operation of foreign affiliates as alternative modes of accessing foreign markets. The results show that the CUSFTA induced an increase in inward and outward trade between the US and Canada, but also led to a significant reduction in sales of their foreign affiliates in the corresponding CUSFTA partner country. This outcome implies that the trade-generating effect of the CUSFTA is overstated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]