The few existing empirical studies of U.S.-Japan trade agreements have relied primarily on descriptive statistics or univariate time series methods. We conduct a more powerful test by evaluating agreements in the context of well-specified econometric models. Consistent with trade theory, import demand is modeled as a cointegrating relationship with income and relative price variables, where a t...

This paper provides an empirical test of how U.S. interests and the GATT regime affect the likelihood of cooperation. Specifically, I examine cooperation on the issue of agriculture trade policy liberalization. By disaggregating different features of negotiations, I demonstrate which institutional features are most important and how they change the political balance in countries that favor agri...

Pollution emitted by US manufacturers has been declining steadily over the past several decades, while at the same time, the real value of manufacturing output has been increasing. This cleanup has two sources: advances in production or abatement processes (“technology”), and changes in the composition of goods manufactured in the United States. The composition changes can be divided further in...

We examine the extent to which product differentiation affects duration of US import trade relationships. The results are consistent with a matching model of trade formation. Using highly disaggregated product level data we estimate the hazard rate is at least 23 percent higher for homogeneous goods than for differentiated products. The results are not only highly robust but are often strengthe...

In popular discussion much has been made recently of the susceptibility of government policies to lobbying by foreigners. The general presumption has also been that such interactions have a deleterious effect on the home economy. However, it can be argued that, in a trade policy context, bending policy in a direction that would suit foreigners may not in fact be harmful: If the policy outcome a...