Why Do Trade Negotiations Take So Long?


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Date

2012-01

Publication Type

Working Paper

ETH Bibliography

yes

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Abstract

The Doha multilateral round of trade negotiations sponsored by the WTO has been dragging on for over a decade, with no end in sight. In this short paper we assess empirically what determines the duration of trade negotiations, focusing on the span between the start of trade talks and their conclusion. We use data from 88 regional trade agreements between 1988 and 2009, and a semi-parametric Cox proportional hazards model. Four factors are robust determinants of the length of RTA negotiations. Negotiations are more protracted when there are more countries at the negotiation table, and when the countries are not from the same region. Negotiations between more open and richer countries are also finished more quickly.

Publication status

published

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Volume

295

Pages / Article No.

Publisher

KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich

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Subject

ZEITDAUER, ZEITSPANNEN, PERIODEN; GATT + WTO + ZOLLTARIFABKOMMEN (HANDEL); TRADE AGREEMENTS + GATT + WTO (TRADE); Survival; EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF MODELS (SOCIAL SCIENCES); Regional; GATT; Income; NEGOTIATIONS + MEDIATION (INTERNATIONAL POLITICS); EMPIRISCHE ANALYSE VON MODELLEN (SOZIALWISSENSCHAFTEN); Data; VERHANDLUNGEN + MEDIATION (INTERNATIONALE POLITIK); MARKT + HANDEL+ KOMMERZ; WTO; Duration; Cox; MARKET + TRADE + COMMERCE; DURATION; Empirical

Organisational unit

03716 - Sturm, Jan-Egbert / Sturm, Jan-Egbert check_circle
02525 - KOF Konjunkturforschungsstelle / KOF Swiss Economic Institute check_circle

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