The Effects of Trade Barriers on Growth, An Empirical Investigation

Although many economists believe that there is a
negative correlation between trade barriers and
economic growth, the issue is far from resolved.
There are studies that have obtained mixed results on
the effect of trade barriers on growth. Such results
could be due to model misspecification, erroneous
methodology or country and world specific conditions.
This paper investigates the impact of trade barriers
under certain country specific conditions to help
determine if such mixed results are at least
partially due to different conditions in different
countries. The country specific conditions to be
investigated are market size, availability of export
credits and technological
spillovers due to trade. Chapter 1 The Case of Large
vs. Small Economies , investigates whether market
size has any impact on how trade barriers affect
economic growth. Chapter 2 The Case of Export
Credits , looks at the impact of trade barriers on
economic growth in the presence of export credits.
Chapter 3 Do Potential Technological Spillovers
Matter for How Trade
Restrictions Affect Economic Growth? focuses on the
impact of technological spillovers on economic growth
due to trade.

Autorentext
Farrokh Kahnamoui received his Ph.D. in economics from Southern Illinois University in December of 2007. He is currently a visiting assistant professor of economics at Western Washington University in Bellingham Washington. Farrokh has also taught at Southern Illinois University, Manhattan College and NY University School of Continuing Education.

Klappentext
Although many economists believe that there is a negative correlation between trade barriers and economic growth, the issue is far from resolved. There are studies that have obtained mixed results on the effect of trade barriers on growth. Such results could be due to model misspecification, erroneous methodology or country and world specific conditions. This paper investigates the impact of trade barriers under certain country specific conditions to help determine if such mixed results are at least partially due to different conditions in different countries. The country specific conditions to be investigated are market size, availability of export credits and technological spillovers due to trade. Chapter 1 "The Case of Large vs. Small Economies", investigates whether market size has any impact on how trade barriers affect economic growth. Chapter 2 "The Case of Export Credits", looks at the impact of trade barriers on economic growth in the presence of export credits. Chapter 3 "Do Potential Technological Spillovers Matter for How Trade Restrictions Affect Economic Growth?" focuses on the impact of technological spillovers on economic growth due to trade.