Examining Perspectives On China's Near-Monopoly Of Rare Earths

China’s behavior as a near-monopolist of rare earths has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. This thesis first examines the underlying causes behind China’s rise to the status of rare-earths near-monopolist, including government support; lax environmental controls; unregulated production; and relatively low costs compared to the rest of the world. Second, the thesis also examines the preeminent international and domestic factors influencing China’s behavior as a near-monopolist of rare earths. International factors include international demand; international trade pressure; international price-setting authority issues; and geopolitical factors. I next identify domestic factors that exert influence over China’s rare earths-related behavior: environmental protection; rare earth resource protection; rare earths industry regulation; and protecting and aiding China’s domestic rare earths industry. The study concludes with a synthesis of the factors influencing China’s rare-earths-related behavior in the overall context of support and direction by China’s Central Government.

Firm-level utilization rates of regional trade agreements : importers' perspective

While previous theoretical studies have examined exporters' choice of tariff schemes without considering explicit heterogeneity of importers, an empirical analysis on regional trade agreement (RTA) utilization is, in general, possible by employing trade data covering the importers' side. To better link the empirical analysis with a theoretical model, this study develops a model that sheds light on the role of both importers' and exporters' characteristics in RTA utilization. The model enables us to replicate stylized facts concerning importers' RTA utilization. Based on this model, we derive some propositions on the determinants of RTA utilization rates (i.e., share of imports under RTA schemes out of total imports) at an import firm-product level. Finally, we found that these theoretical predictions are supported by highly detailed import data in Thailand from Australia from 2007 to 2009.

Essays in Firm Responses to Demand and Competition Shocks

The aim of this dissertation is to examine, model and estimate firm responses to

demand shocks by focusing on specific industries where demand shocks are well

identified. Combining reduced-form evidence and structural analysis, this dissertation

extends the economic literature by focusing on within-firm responses of firms

to two important demand shocks that are identifiable in empirical settings. First,

I focus on how firms respond to a decrease in effective demand due to competition

shocks coming from globalization. By considering China's accession to the World

Trade Organization in 2001 and its impact on the apparel industry, the aim of these

chapters is to answer how firms react to the increase in Chinese import competition,

what is the mechanism behind these responses, and how important they are in explaining

the survival of the Peruvian apparel industry. Second, I study how suppliers'

survival probability relates to the sudden disruption of their main customer-supplier

relationships with downstream manufacturers, conditional on suppliers' own idiosyncratic

characteristics such as physical productivity.

El impacto de la crisis en la industria cinematográfica en Europa

Este trabajo analiza el impacto que ha generado la crisis económica y financiera más reciente en las industrias cinematográficas de siete países miembros de la Unión Europea. Las conclusiones señalan que, en efecto, la crisis ha impactado negativamente en las industrias de España e Italia, y muy gravemente en la de Portugal, pero en el lado contrario, la del Reino Unido ha experimentado un crecimiento apreciable y las de Francia y Alemania también lo han hecho, aunque en menor medida. Y en segundo lugar, es muy notable la escasa colaboración alcanzada entre los agentes europeos.

Los ungüentarios de alabastro en el Mediterráneo. Primer Milenio a. C.

A partir del hallazgo de un tipo particular de envases: ungüentarios y perfumarios en una nueva tumba en el territorio de Arados/Amrit, observamos cómo se incrementa la presencia de estos envases en tumbas de incineración e inhumación durante el primer milenio antes de Cristo en la cuenca mediterránea. Hemos elaborado una serie de análisis y discusiones sobre su distribución, cronología, significado y uso social, tratando de establecer una periodización de sus usos y una contextualización cultural y social dentro del ritual funerario y del uso de determinadas materias primas empleadas para su elaboración.

Economic and trade relations between Latin America and Asia Pacific: The link with China

Includes bibliography

A Política Externa da União Europeia no Ártico

É através da política externa que os atores das relações internacionais procuram concretizar os seus objetivos além das suas fronteiras. O Ártico é atualmente uma região alvo da política externa de atores das relações internacionais, entre eles Estados,organizações internacionais, multinacionais, entre outros. Sendo um território quase inexplorado, sabe-se que é extremamente rico em recursos naturais e energéticose que,com as alterações climáticas, estes recursos podem ser explorados. Com o derretimento da camada de gelo, o Oceano Ártico torna-se também uma rota de navegação rápida, o que intensificará o comércio internacional. No entanto, não são apenas oportunidades de crescimento económico que surgem do degelo do Ártico, mas também sérios riscos económicos, ambientais e securitários, aos quais a União Europeia não está alheia. Neste sentido, a organização europeia tem vindo a aplicar os seus esforços de política externa para desenvolver uma política que vá ao encontro dos seus objetivos na região, salvaguardando assim a sua segurança e também os seus interesses. Numa análise teórica, este trabalho procura previamente entender o que é a política externa, qual o papel da União Europeianesse âmbitoe quais as motivações para uma política externa europeia para o Ártico. Também se pretende mostrar a crescente importância da região do Ártico, e como este crescimento está fortemente ligado ao fenómeno das alterações climáticas. Sob a análise empírica, procura-se evidenciar a forma como a União Europeia está a desenvolver a sua política orientada para a região, para que no final do trabalho, cruzando a teoria com a parte empírica, fazer uma leitura da política europeia de acordo com as teorias das relações internacionais. Para dar forma ao trabalho, a metodologia utilizada foi a consulta de fontes académicas, a partir de centros de investigação ligados ao Ártico,como o Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, o International Arctic Research Center eo Arctic Centre da Universidade da Lapónia, além de fontes documentais de diferentes organizações internacionais e documentos oficiais da União Europeia. Pode concluir-se que a União Europeia tem desenvolvido uma estratégia tendencialmente realista, pois procura sobretudo obter a sua segurança em relação às consequências do degelo do Árticoe limitar as oportunidades de crescimento dos restantes atores da região, apesar de o fazer utilizando políticas e estratégias de caráter pluralista.

Algunas consideraciones para la preparación de la pequeña y mediana empresa exportadora

El artículo describe el escenario comercial actual en que actúan las pequeñas y medianas empresas y señala los tipos de exportación que pueden utilizar las compañías que deseen insertarse en los mercados externos. Explica las condiciones subjetivas y objetivas que debe considerar las firmas al prepararse para participar en el proceso exportador, tales como los recursos financieros y humanos, las alianzas, la tecnología, la logística, la información, la producción, la gestión de la organización, la capacitación técnica, la experiencia y la infraestructura, entre otros, así como las ventajas y desafíos que enfrentan las empresas en las actividades comerciales internacionales. Abstract This article describes the current trade scenario where small and mid enterprises acts and emphasizes on the types of exportations companies can use to be part in international markets. At the same time, this scenario explains the subjective and objective conditions must be taken into account all firms to prepare themselves to participate in export processes, such as financial resources, strategic alliances, technology, information, production, organization process, technical training, expertise and infraestructure, among others as advantages and challenges enterprises faces in all international trade activities.

Using Quantitative Methods to Explore Political Leverage, Trade Policy, and Food Security: A Case Study of the Middle East

This dissertation explores why some states consistently secure food imports at prices higher than the world market price, thereby exacerbating food insecurity domestically. I challenge the idea that free market economics alone can explain these trade behaviors, and instead argue that states take into account political considerations when engaging in food trade that results in inefficient trade. In particular, states that are dependent on imports of staple food products, like cereals, are wary of the potential strategic value of these goods to exporters. I argue that this consideration, combined with the importing state’s ability to mitigate that risk through its own forms of political or economic leverage, will shape the behavior of the importing state and contribute to its potential for food security. In addition to cross-national analyses, I use case studies of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan to demonstrate how the political tools available to these importers affect their food security. The results of my analyses suggest that when import dependent states have access to forms of political leverage, they are more likely to trade efficiently, thereby increasing their potential for food security.

Recommended reporting standards for test accuracy studies of infectious diseases of finfish, amphibians, molluscs and crustaceans: the STRADAS-aquatic checklist

Complete and transparent reporting of key elements of diagnostic accuracy studies for infectious diseases in cultured and wild aquatic animals benefits end-users of these tests, enabling the rational design of surveillance programs, the assessment of test results from clinical cases and comparisons of diagnostic test performance. Based on deficiencies in the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) guidelines identified in a prior finfish study (Gardner et al. 2014), we adapted the Standards for Reporting of Animal Diagnostic Accuracy Studies—paratuberculosis (STRADAS-paraTB) checklist of 25 reporting items to increase their relevance to finfish, amphibians, molluscs, and crustaceans and provided examples and explanations for each item. The checklist, known as STRADAS-aquatic, was developed and refined by an expert group of 14 transdisciplinary scientists with experience in test evaluation studies using field and experimental samples, in operation of reference laboratories for aquatic animal pathogens, and in development of international aquatic animal health policy. The main changes to the STRADAS-paraTB checklist were to nomenclature related to the species, the addition of guidelines for experimental challenge studies, and the designation of some items as relevant only to experimental studies and ante-mortem tests. We believe that adoption of these guidelines will improve reporting of primary studies of test accuracy for aquatic animal diseases and facilitate assessment of their fitness-for-purpose. Given the importance of diagnostic tests to underpin the Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement of the World Trade Organization, the principles outlined in this paper should be applied to other World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)-relevant species.

Evaluating tests for convergence of economic series using Monte Carlo methods with an application to real GDP's per head.

Doutoramento em Economia.

A OMC e a teoria das negociações econômicas internacionais (John Odell) : o comportamento dos atores nas conferências ministeriais de Cancun e Hong Kong

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Relações Internacionais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Relações Internacionais, 2016.

Firm-level trade creation and diversion of regional trade agreements in Thailand

Using highly detailed import data for Thailand, this paper examines firm-level trade creation and diversion of regional trade agreements (RTAs). Specifically, by focusing on firm-product pairs in which firms import a particular product from non-members but not from RTA members in the initial year of our sample, we empirically investigate the start of imports from RTA members under RTA schemes and the cessation of imports from non-members at the firm-level. We find that firms are more likely to stop importing products with low RTA tariff rates or high most-favored-nation tariff rates from non-members and to start importing such products from RTA member countries. However, from the quantitative point of view, there are very few firms that switch import sources from non-members to RTA members when facing the introduction of RTA schemes.

Mapping agricultural value chains with international input-output data

In recent years, the analysis of trade in value added has been explored by many researchers. Although they have made important contributions by developing GVC-related indices and proposing techniques for decomposing trade data, they have not yet explored the method of value chain mapping—a core element of conventional value chain analysis. This paper introduces a method of value chain mapping that uses international input-output data and reveals both upstream and downstream transactions of goods and services induced by production activities of a specific commodity or industry. This method is subsequently applied to the agricultural value chain of three Greater Mekong Sub-region countries (i.e., Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia). The results show that the agricultural value chain has been increasingly internationalized, although there is still room for obtaining benefits from GVC participation, especially in a country such as Cambodia.

Identification of Hotspots in the European Union for the Introduction of Four Zoonotic Arboviroses by Live Animal Trade

Live animal trade is considered a major mode of introduction of viruses from enzootic foci into disease-free areas. Due to societal and behavioural changes, some wild animal species may nowadays be considered as pet species. The species diversity of animals involved in international trade is thus increasing. This could benefit pathogens that have a broad host range such as arboviruses. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk posed by live animal imports for the introduction, in the European Union (EU), of four arboviruses that affect human and horses: Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis. Importation data for a five-years period (2005-2009, extracted from the EU TRACES database), environmental data (used as a proxy for the presence of vectors) and horses and human population density data (impacting the occurrence of clinical cases) were combined to derive spatially explicit risk indicators for virus introduction and for the potential consequences of such introductions. Results showed the existence of hotspots where the introduction risk was the highest in Belgium, in the Netherlands and in the north of Italy. This risk was higher for Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) than for the three other diseases. It was mainly attributed to exotic pet species such as rodents, reptiles or cage birds, imported in small-sized containments from a wide variety of geographic origins. The increasing species and origin diversity of these animals may have in the future a strong impact on the risk of introduction of arboviruses in the EU.