IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/fortra/v48y2013i1p125-135.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Healthy Trade: The Relationship Between Open Trade and Health

Author

Listed:
  • Philip Stevens

    (Philip Stevens, Executive Director, Emerging Markets Health Network, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Email: philip@cgwg.co.uk)

  • Jasson Urbach

    (Jasson Urbach, Research Fellow, Free Market Foundation of Southern Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa.)

  • Gabrielle Wills

    (Gabrielle Wills, Independent researcher and economist, Johannesburg, South Africa.)

Abstract

A recurrent theme of the academic literature and wider public discourse is that free trade is bad for health as it promotes economic inequality and insecurity, polluting the environment and making processed foods more widely available. Such views are also widely promulgated by international policymaking organizations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, there has been little empirical evidence to support these assertions, in particular the relationship between free trade and health. This is an important relationship, as it tells us more about the effect of economic policies on human welfare than bald statistics relating to GDP. This study aims to build on a nascent literature by examining the relationship between free trade and health, using a range of data relating to trade openness and human development. Our analysis finds that free trade does in fact appear to be associated with better health outcomes, with the relationship particularly pronounced for lower-income countries. There are two mechanisms that might be responsible for this relationship. On the one hand, trade promotes economic growth, which in turn provides greater sums for individuals to improve their living conditions and for authorities to spend on public health measures such as sanitation and universal vaccination. Another mechanism is ‘knowledge spillover’, wherein international trade increases the global diffusion of both knowledge and products that improve health—ranging from the basics of germ theory to modern pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Stevens & Jasson Urbach & Gabrielle Wills, 2013. "Healthy Trade: The Relationship Between Open Trade and Health," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 48(1), pages 125-135, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:fortra:v:48:y:2013:i:1:p:125-135
    DOI: 10.1177/001573251204800106
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/001573251204800106
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/001573251204800106?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cornia, Giovanni Andrea & Rosignoli, Stefano & Tiberti, Luca, 2007. "Globalisation and health: impact pathways and recent evidence," Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, Working Paper Series qt2358z815, Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, UC Santa Cruz.
    2. Francisco Rodríguez & Dani Rodrik, 2001. "Trade Policy and Economic Growth: A Skeptic's Guide to the Cross-National Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2000, Volume 15, pages 261-338, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Bloom, David E & Williamson, Jeffrey G, 1998. "Demographic Transitions and Economic Miracles in Emerging Asia," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 12(3), pages 419-455, September.
    4. Williamson,Jeffrey G., 1990. "Coping with City Growth during the British Industrial Revolution," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521364805, November.
    5. David H. Romer & Jeffrey A. Frankel, 1999. "Does Trade Cause Growth?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(3), pages 379-399, June.
    6. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Andrew Warner, 1995. "Economic Reform and the Process of Global Integration," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 26(1, 25th A), pages 1-118.
    7. repec:umd:umdeco:rodriguez9901 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. David Dollar & Aart Kraay, 2004. "Trade, Growth, and Poverty," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(493), pages 22-49, February.
    9. Ann L. Owen & Stephen Wu, 2007. "Is Trade Good for Your Health?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 660-682, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marson, Marta & Migheli, Matteo & Saccone, Donatella, 2023. "Free to die: Economic freedoms and influenza mortality," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    2. Novignon, Jacob & Atakorah, Yaw Boateng, 2016. "How does the health sector benefit from trade openness? Evidence form panel data across sub-Saharan Africa countries," MPRA Paper 72258, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Chong Hui Ling & Khalid Ahmed & Rusnah Muhamad & Muhammad Shahbaz & Nanthakumar Loganathan, 2017. "Testing the Social Cost of Rapid Economic Development in Malaysia: The Effect of Trade on Life Expectancy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 1005-1023, February.
    4. Oded Shenkar & Guoyong Liang & Rakefet Shenkar, 2022. "The last frontier of globalization: Trade and foreign direct investment in healthcare," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(2), pages 362-374, March.
    5. Zhao, Jun & Dong, Kangyin & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2023. "Is income inequality a stumbling block to the global natural gas market?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    6. Md Samsul Alam & Md Shahidul Islam & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad & Shazia Bilal, 2021. "Rapid rise of life expectancy in Bangladesh: Does financial development matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 4918-4931, October.
    7. Dierk Herzer, 2017. "The Long-run Relationship Between Trade and Population Health: Evidence from Five Decades," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 462-487, February.
    8. Yahyaoui Ismahene, 2022. "Infectious Diseases, Trade, and Economic Growth: a Panel Analysis of Developed and Developing Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 2547-2583, September.
    9. Zhizhong Liu & Qianying Chen & Guangyue Liu & Xu Han, 2022. "Do Deep Regional Trade Agreements Improve Residents’ Health? A Cross-Country Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-16, November.
    10. Oyelade, Aduralere Opeyemi & Maku, Olukayode Emmanuel & Oladimeji, Akinfemi, 2021. "Does Trade in Medical Products Improve Health Outcomes in Nigeria? A Macro-Level Analysis," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 10(1), December.
    11. Marson, Marta & Migheli, Matteo & Saccone, Donatella, 2022. "Free to Die: Economic Freedoms and Influenza Mortality," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202210, University of Turin.
    12. Yiping Sun & Chengjun Wu & Xiaoming Zhu & Pingguan Bian, 2022. "China’s Accession to the WTO as a Shock to Residents’ Health—A Difference-in-Difference Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-18, November.
    13. Muhammad Shahbaz & Muhammad Shafiullah & Mantu K. Mahalik, 2019. "The dynamics of financial development, globalisation, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan Africa," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 444-479, December.
    14. Jacob Novignon & Yaw Boateng Atakorah & Gbetoton Nadege Djossou, 2018. "How Does the Health Sector Benefit from Trade Openness? Evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 135-148, June.
    15. Tonmoy Chatterjee & Kausik Gupta, 2015. "Health Care Quality and Finite Changes of Trade Policy," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 50(1), pages 21-30, February.
    16. Md. Samsul Alam & Syed Ali Raza & Muhammad Shahbaz & Qaisar Abbas, 2016. "Accounting for Contribution of Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Life Expectancy: The Long-Run and Short-Run Analysis in Pakistan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(3), pages 1155-1170, December.
    17. Chatterjee, Tonmoy & Dinda, Soumyananda, 2022. "What Determines the Health Status in Developing Countries? Evidence From a Dynamic Panel," Journal of Economic Development, The Economic Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, vol. 47(4), pages 1-37, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Philippe Aghion & Robin Burgess & Stephen J. Redding & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2008. "The Unequal Effects of Liberalization: Evidence from Dismantling the License Raj in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(4), pages 1397-1412, September.
    2. Francisco Rodríguez, 2006. "Openness and Growth: What Have We Learned?," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2006-011, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.
    3. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    4. Costantini, Valeria & Monni, Salvatore, 2008. "Environment, human development and economic growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 867-880, February.
    5. Amaia Altuzarra & Catalina Gálvez-Gálvez & Ana González-Flores, 2021. "Is Gender Inequality a Barrier to Economic Growth? A Panel Data Analysis of Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, January.
    6. Nathaniel P. S. Cook & Jason C. Jones, 2021. "The African Growth and Opportunity Act and growth in sub‐Saharan Africa: A local projection approach," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 234-261, January.
    7. Sanghoon Ahn & Jong-Wha Lee, 2007. "Integration and Growth in East Asia," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 25(S1), pages 131-168, December.
    8. Katharina Eck, 2010. "(Wie) Führt Außenhandel zu Wirtschaftswachstum?," Working Papers 284, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    9. L. G. Burange & Rucha R. Ranadive & Neha N. Karnik, 2019. "Trade Openness and Economic Growth Nexus: A Case Study of BRICS," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 54(1), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Niclas Berggren & Henrik Jordahl, 2005. "Does free trade really reduce growth? Further testing using the economic freedom index," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 99-114, January.
    11. Olper, Alessandro & Curzi, Daniele & Swinnen, Johan, 2018. "Trade liberalization and child mortality: A Synthetic Control Method," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 394-410.
    12. Rhys Jenkins, 2004. "Globalization, production, employment and poverty: debates and evidence," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(1), pages 1-12.
    13. Renato Santiago & José Alberto Fuinhas & António Cardoso Marques, 2020. "The impact of globalization and economic freedom on economic growth: the case of the Latin America and Caribbean countries," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 61-85, February.
    14. Robert Mullings & Aruneema Mahabir, 2016. "Growth by Destination: The Role of Trade in Africa’s Recent Growth Episode," NBS Discussion Papers in Economics 2016/01, Economics, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University.
    15. Nissanke, Machiko & Thorbecke, Erik, 2006. "Channels and policy debate in the globalization-inequality-poverty nexus," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1338-1360, August.
    16. Maria Cipollina & Luca Salvatici, 2008. "Measuring Protection: Mission Impossible?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 577-616, July.
    17. Navaratnam Ravinthirakumaran, 2014. "Applicability of Openness-led Growth Hypothesis in Sri Lanka," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 15(2), pages 241-263, September.
    18. Khan, Rana Ejaz Ali & Sattar, Rashid, 2010. "Trade, Growth and Povety: A Case of Pakistan," MPRA Paper 20904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Raihan, Selim, 2004. "Trade Barriers in a Global Perspective," Centre on Regulation and Competition (CRC) Working papers 30618, University of Manchester, Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM).
    20. Mamoon, Dawood & Murshed, S. Mansoob, 2011. "Labour Markets, Education and Duality of Returns," MPRA Paper 29529, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Commerce; international cooperation; income; economic development; public health; risk factors; international trade; globalization; health policy; pharmaceutical preparations/supply and distribution; developing countries; knowledge spillovers; technology transfers; F10; O15; I10; I11; I18;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:fortra:v:48:y:2013:i:1:p:125-135. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.