Firms?: heterogeneity, organizations, power and trade

This paper develops a theory which investigates the two-way relationship between the internaI organization of the firm and market competition.We introduce heterogenous firms with internal hierarchies in a Knlgman (1980) monopolistic competition model of trade. The model simultanously determines firms' organizational choices anel heterogeneity across firms in size and proeluctivity.Ve show that intenlational trade, market size and the toughness of competition in international markets incluce a power struggle in firms which eventually leads to a reorganization of firms towards more decentralized corporate hierarchies.We show further that trade triggers produetivity growth through inter-firm reallocations towards more produetive firms in whieh CEOs have power in firms. At the same time, however trade- induced organizational changes towards fiattened corporate hierarchies lead to a softening of lnternat.ional competition which may contribute a eountervailing negative effect on seetoral productivity.

WTO-plus commitments on the elimination of export duties: evidence of a two-tier membership?

This descriptive paper examines the prevalence of ‘WTO-plus’ commitments in accession protocols of newly acceded Members, with a focus on commitments on the elimination of export duties. It presents preliminary results of a mapping exercise carried out with respect to these commitments and seeks to answer two questions. First, can any general conclusions be drawn as to the prevalence of these commitments or are they, per definition, country-specific. Second, has the political nature of the WTO accession process allowed for the creation of a two-tier membership. The first question is answered by relying on data gathered as part of the ongoing PhD-research project conducted by the author. The project aims to construct a typology of WTO-plus commitments to allow for a more detailed analysis of the relationship between these commitments and the baseline obligations in the covered agreements. The accession of China to the WTO is commonly considered as the prime example of the inclusion of WTO-plus obligations in accession protocols. The paper tries to answer the question whether this particular accession was truly unique in nature, or whether the inclusion of “Plus” obligations is less exceptional than often assumed. Additionally, the accession protocols of other recently acceded-Members are examined to establish whether the hypothesis holds. In the PhD-research project this comparative methodology will also be applied to map WTO-plus commitments in other areas, such as anti-dumping and transparency. The second question will be answered in two stages. In a preliminary stage, international institutional law will be used to by analyzing the way in which the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body has dealt with this type of WTO-plus commitment in its jurisprudence. The second stage deals with the question of hierarchy: Accession Protocols are negotiated with the WTO Membership, by each country willing to accede to the WTO. This poses questions as to their exact position in the system of WTO law. To establish whether evidence of a two-tier membership is present, one first has to turn back to the question whether Accession Protocols are a separate (or independent) legal instrument or an “integral part” of the WTO system of covered agreements. If newly acceded Members do not benefit from the general exceptions in order to balance their more stringent, WTO-plus, obligations, this may support the conclusion that the membership of the World Trade Organization is becoming, in fact, two-tiered.

Trust-based trade

There is substantially more trade within national borders than across borders. An important explanation for this fact is the weak enforcement of international contracts. We develop a model in which agents build reputations to overcome this institutional failure. The model describes the interplay between institutional quality, reputations and the dynamics of international trade. It also rationalizes several empirical regularities. We find that history matters for trade volumes, but that its effects vary with the institutional setting of the country. The same is true for the efticacy of trade liberalization programs. Moreover, while stricter enforcement of contracts enhances trade in the short run, it makes it harder for individual traders to develop good reputations. We show that this indirect negative effect may produce an "institutional trap": for sufliciently low initial levels of contract enforcement, a small tightening in enforcement reduces future trade fiows. We find also that search frictions aggravate the problems created by weak enforceability of contracts, even if they impose no direct cost on agents. The model allows extensions in several directions. We outline two of them, indicating how one could study transnational networks and the effects of firm heterogeneity within our structure.

Breve reflexão sobre a insolvência transnacional. Divergências doutrinárias. Experiência brasileira.

Esta monografia aborda o problema resultante da ausência de regulamentação da insolvência transnacional no Brasil. O processo de globalização viabilizou a intensificação das relações comerciais internacionais, culminando com o surgimento dos grandes grupos econômicos, com sociedades atuantes em diversos países. Assim, como outras grandes economias mundiais, o Brasil hoje faz parte desta realidade. Atualmente, inexiste legislação brasileira específica para tratar da insolvência transnacional, o que gera muitas incertezas e insegurança jurídica. Com isso, o enfoque do estudo passa a ser a necessidade de criação de legislação específica para regular a insolvência internacional. Neste sentido, são apresentadas as diferentes abordagens existentes, através dos modelos teóricos desenvolvidos no meio acadêmico, para lidar com falências transnacionais. O trabalho, então, se concentra de forma mais analítica nas duas maiores correntes teóricas sobre o assunto: os modelos territorialista e universalista. Logo após, são descritas algumas experiências do direito comparado seguidas de um retrospecto sobre a história legislativa brasileira, sobre o tema de interesse. Por fim, um caso é trazido à colação como forma de elucidar o conteúdo dissertado e auxiliar na busca por respostas que indiquem a melhor forma de enfrentar a polêmica questão das falências transnacionais.

A licitude do consentimento tácito na prática de importação paralela: como os tribunais brasileiros vêm decidindo esta questão

Considerando o contexto atual de globalização e expansão do comércio internacional, a Importação Paralela tem sido um grande desafio para os doutrinadores e tribunais de todo o mundo. No presente trabalho é possível observar como a prática de Importação Paralela vem interferindo e gerando conflitos nas relações comerciais entre os titulares do direito marcário, seus licenciados e os terceiros importadores, aprofundando a análise na exaustão dos direitos de Propriedade Intelectual adotado no Brasil. A complexidade do tema está intimamente ligada à questão do consentimento do titular da marca neste tipo de relação. Dessa forma, este trabalho tem como principal objetivo analisar como os tribunais vêm interpretando o art. 132, inciso III da Lei 9.279/96 e associando a licitude da prática de Importação Paralela com o consentimento tácito ou expresso.

Trade regulation of exchange rates

O presente estudo busca analisar o quadro regulatório internacional referente a medidas cambiais que trazem impactos no comércio. O artigo pretende explorar como a questão do câmbio se relaciona à OMC e afeta seus instrumentos e princípios para, em seguida, buscar dispositivos nos Acordos da OMC que poderiam ser aplicados à questão cambial a fim de reequilibrar os impactos causados pelos desalinhamentos cambiais no comércio internacional

5th BRICS Trade and Economic Research Network (TERN) meeting: the impact of mega agreements on BRICS

The BRICS TERN – BRICS Trade and Economics Research Network is a group of independent research institutes established four years ago by five think tanks from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The main objective of the network is to study different aspects of trade and economic relations amongst these five countries. The purpose of the V BRICS TERN Meeting was to analyze and debate the effects of the negotiations of the Mega Agreements, mainly those initiated by the US and the EU, already in negotiation, to each of the BRICS Trade Policies. Both Mega Agreements were examined – the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The studies included the main impacts on trade flows and on the international trade rules system, respecting the perspective of each of the countries concerned. This workshop was an initiative of the Center for Global Trade and Investments (CGTI), a think-tank on International Trade held by FGV Sao Paulo School of Economics. Its main objective is the research on trade regulation, preferential trade agreements, trade and currency, trade and global value chains, through legal analysis and economic modelling. One of its main researches, now, is on the potential economic and legal impacts of the Mega Agreements on Brazil and WTO rules. This meeting was organized in March14, 2014, in Rio de Janeiro, in a perfect timing for introducing such issues in the international agenda, in advance of the 6th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in Brazil in July 2014.

Opportunities for trade and investment between Latin America and Asia-Pacific: the link with APEC

Includes bibliography

Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC): new biregional trade and investment relations in a changing world economic environment$c

Includes bibliography

Trade and the environment in the context of the World Trade Organization

Includes bibliography

The current international context and its macroeconomic repercussions for Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Policy alternatives and strategies for the Plurinational State of Bolivia following the end of trade preferences

Include bibliography

Trade, poverty and complementary policies in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Caribbean trade and integration: trends and future prospects

Includes Bibliography

Negotiating trade agreements for the 21st century

Includes Bibliography