União aduaneira e harmonização tributária: o caso do imposto sobre valor agregado no mercado comum do Sul

Trata do problema da harmonização dos impostos sobre valor agregado nos países do Mercado Comum do Sul. Traça um panorama histórico do regionalismo latino-americano. Aborda questões referentes a uniões aduaneiras e ao Mercado Comum do Sul, bem como tópicos de tributação. Realiza uma análise comparativa dos impostos sobre valor agregado nos países do Mercosul. Tece, por fim, comentários referentes a uma possível harmonização do imposto mencionado

A integração econômica do cone sul : um estudo sobre os condicionantes econômicos dos fluxos de comércio

Trata dos determinantes econômicos dos fluxos de comércio entre as economias componentes do Mercosul, se concentrando nos determinantes econômicos do volume, da composição e da procedência dos mesmos fluxos. Determina as variáveis chave para a explicação dos mesmos e os efeitos sobre as suas variações

New evidence on trade liberalization and productivity growth

Although the subject of a large number of studies, the debate on the links between trade reform and productivity growth is still unresolved and most studies at the micro level have not been able to establish a relationship between the two phenomena. Brazil provides a natural experiment to study this issue that is seldom available: it was one of the closest economies in the world until 1988, when trade reform was launched, and intra-industry data are available on an annual basis before, during and after liberalization. Using a panel of industry sectors this paper tests and measures the impact of trade reform on productivity growth. Results confirm the association between the former and the latter and show that the magnitude of the impact of tariff reduction on the growth rates of TFP and output per worker was substantial. Our data reveal large and widespread productivity improvement, so that the estimations in this paper are an indication that liberalization had an important effect on industrial performance in the country. Cross-sectional differences in protection are also investigated.

Trade barriers and productivity growth: cross-industry evidence

This article investigates the impact of trade protection on the evolution of labor productivity and total factor productivity (TFP) of the Brazilian manufacturing sector. An annual panel-dataset of 16 industries for the years 1985 through 1997, a period that includes a major trade liberalization, was used. The regressions reported here are robust to openness indicator (nominal tari®s and e®ective protection rate were used), control variables and time period and suggest that barriers to trade negatively a®ects productivity growth at industry level: those sectors with lower barriers experienced higher growth. We were also able to link the observed increase of industry productivity growth after 1991 to the widespread reduction on exective protection experienced in the country in the nineties.

Internacionalização de instituições financeiras de línguas espanhola e portuguesa

O objetivo do artigo é determinar quais são as variáveis que impactam a escolha de um país para operar no processo de internacionalização de bancos de língua espanhola e portuguesa. Além disso, o artigo busca identificar se há diferenças nestas variáveis para bancos públicos e privados. A amostra é composta por 141 bancos com operações em 59 países e, utilizando um modelo logite, conclui-se que estes bancos operam em países com maior integração comercial e linguística ao seu de origem, além de serem próximos entre si, e com maior oportunidade de crescimento. A internacionalização seria feita, principalmente, por bancos maiores e aponta que há diferenças na magnitude do impacto das variáveis entre bancos públicos e privados.

Monopoly power and trade protection: cross- industry evidence

This paper investigates the impact of industry concentration on trade policy. Annual panel-databases of Brazilian industries for the years 1988 through 1994 were used. The regressions reported here are robust to openness indicator. concentration index, control variables and sample size, and suggest that the higher the concentration of a given industry the higher its leveI of trade protection. In the period of study the country experienced a major trade liberalization, but the results in the paper show that the reduction in protection was smaller in more concentrated sectors. Assuming that concentration is ;1 gCl()d proX\' for mOllopoh' po\\'er as it reduces the free-rider problem in coordinating a lobby the results in this paper indicates that interest groups with control over specific markets in fact are able to obtain policy advantages that reduce (international) competition.

Feasible multilateralism and the effects of regionalism

Recent research has underlined the efficiency of the GATT/WTO rules from the standpoint of politically motivated governments, emphasizing that the current multilateral rules are capable of delivering a politically efficient equilibrium. Such an equilibrium is, however, economically inef- ficient. Global free trade, in particular, is generally unattainable even in a fully cooperative world, provided that governments have distributive motivations. In such a context, we show that regional trade agreements can help move the world towards a welfare superior equilibrium. The reason is that, as members of regional trade agreements lower trade barriers against one another, they are induced to reduce their multilateral tariffs as well. Once we account for these endogenous changes–and only then–we find that regionalism can raise world welfare even in a fully cooperative (but political) world. We also find, however, that members are likely to gain "too much" from regional integration, thereby harming outsiders.

Sustainable miracles : protection and competition in the Brazilian oil industry

It is often suggested that competition improves productivity, however, the underlying support for this idea is surprisingly thin. This paper presents a case study examining the e ects of a change in the competitive environment on productivity at the Petrobras, Brazil's state-owned oil company. Petrobras had a legal monopoly on production, re ning, transportation and importation of oil in Brazil until it was removed in 1995. Even though Petrobras continues to have a de facto monopoly, the end of legal monopoly labor productivity growth rate more than doubled. A growth accounting of the industry shows that between 1977 and 1993 output growth rate (and productivity growth rate) is explained by the accumulation of capital, while Total Factor Productivity (TFP) decreased. Between 1994 and 2000 labor productivity growth rate is completely explained by the growth rate of TFP. The results suggest that the threat of competition alone is su cient to improve productivity. They also provide evidence that restricting competition help cause Brazil's depression of the 1980s.

Las dimensiones sociales de la integración regional en América Latina

Incluye Bibliografía

Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union: striving for a renewed partnership

Includes bibliography

Trade liberalisation, trade performance and competitiveness in the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Trade relations between Brazil and the United States

Includes bibliography

Una vuelta de la página en las relaciones entre América Latina y las Comunidades Europeas

Incluye Bibliografía