Resource Center

Advanced Search
Technical Papers
Working Papers
Research Memoranda
GTAP-L Mailing List
GTAP FAQs
CGE Books/Articles
Important References
Submit New Resource

GTAP Resources: Resource Display

GTAP Resource #3874

"What’s the Appropriate Agricultural Protection Counterfactual for Trade Analysis?"
by Anderson, Kym and Signe Nelgen


Abstract
Most traditional analyses of trade reform assume that protection rates will—in the absence of the reform being considered—remain at their initial level. This is appropriate in many cases, including when protection tends to be stable over time, and when the evolution of protection cannot realistically be predicted. But, in many cases, such as agricultural trade as economies develop, the pattern of protection moves in ways that seem amenable to prediction using available political-economy models.

This paper first surveys the evidence on the evolution of agricultural protection over time. It then examines the available theories for explaining changes in rates of protection. Building on these theories, it provides projections of future agricultural distortions. Finally, it considers the economic costs associated with projections of agricultural distortions. The results suggest that the value of commitments—such as those under the Doha proposals—to restrain agricultural protection to specified levels are likely to be of much greater value than would be implied by the standard assumptions about counterfactual rates of protection.

If the expected results of the negoiations come to pass, it seems likely that the value of any agreement to bind staff in the future would be fairly difficult to achieve. Study of these proposals may, however, be useful because of the lessons it provides for future negotioans

eference
Martin, W. and Mattoo, A. eds 2011. Unfinished Business: The WTO’s Doha Agenda. Centre for Economic Policy Research and the World Bank, London and Washington DC.
...


Resource Details (Export Citation) GTAP Keywords
Category: 2012 Conference Paper
Status: Published
By/In: Unfinished Business? The WTO's Doha Agenda, edited by W. Martin and A. Mattoo, London: Centre for Economic Policy Research and the World Bank
Date: 2011
Version:
Created: Anderson, K. (4/29/2012)
Updated: Batta, G. (5/25/2012)
Visits: 1,751
- Agricultural policies
- Economic development
- Calibration and parameter estimation
- Baseline development


Attachments
If you have trouble accessing any of the attachments below due to disability, please contact the authors listed above.


Public Access
  File format GTAP Resource 3874  (819.5 KB)   Replicated: 0 time(s)


Restricted Access
No documents have been attached.


Special Instructions
No instructions have been specified.


Comments (0 posted)
You must log in before entering comments.

No comments have been posted.