Brown Bag Seminar: "Pursuing Environmental and Social Objectives through Trade Agreements"

Abstract

Using a large dataset covering more than 180 countries and spanning several decades, we employ a SDID estimator to identify the extent to which trade agreements incorporating non-trade provisions (labor standards, environmental protection and civil and political rights) are associated with improvements in corresponding non-trade performance indicators.

We distinguish between binding (enforceable) and non-binding provisions in trade agreements, and also control for the allocation of official development assistance targeting these three non-trade policy areas.

Overall, the results suggest that efforts made to date to include non-trade provisions in trade agreements have not resulted in consistent desired (better) non-trade outcomes.

Speaker's biography

Miriam Manchin is an Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, also a Research Fellow at WTI. Her current research interests include economic integration, trade agreements, cross-border production chains, business group networks, multinational firms, trade and development, trade and institutions, and migration.

We strongly encourage you to attend this event on-site. In case you cannot be present in person, you can use the following Zoom link to tune in virtually: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ucuCqrTIoGNwVHWDSjNSWqkiCPQuuLBmd