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Bilateral versus Multilateral Free Trade Agreements: A Welfare Analysis

Author

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  • Demet Yilmazkuday

    (Department of Economics, Florida International University)

  • Hakan Yilmazkuday

    (Department of Economics, Florida International University)

Abstract

Why do we observe proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) between certain types of countries instead of having progress in attaining global free trade through a multilateral FTA? We answer this question by exploring the enforceability of di¡èerent types of FTAs through comparing minimum discount factors that are necessary to sustain them in an in?nitely repeated game framework. We also search for the globally welfare maximizing trade agreements that are sustainable under different conditions. The results depict that transportation costs, differences in country sizes and comparative advantages are all obstacles for having a multilateral FTA. Accordingly, international development policies conducted for the removal of such obstacles should be the main goal toward achieving a multilateral FTA, which we show to be the ?rst-best solution to the maximization problem of global welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Demet Yilmazkuday & Hakan Yilmazkuday, 2014. "Bilateral versus Multilateral Free Trade Agreements: A Welfare Analysis," Working Papers 1401, Florida International University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:fiu:wpaper:1401
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    11. Kamal Saggi & Halis Murat Yildiz, 2018. "Bilateralism, multilateralism, and the quest for global free trade," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Kamal Saggi (ed.), Economic Analysis of the Rules and Regulations of the World Trade Organization, chapter 7, pages 156-167, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Bilateral versus Multilateral Free Trade Agreements: A Welfare Analysis
      by Hakan Yilmazkuday in Hakan Yilmazkuday's Blog on 2016-12-15 07:32:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Beckman, Jayson & Ivanic, Maros & Shaik, Saleem, 2022. "How Bilateral Trade Deals Get in the Way of Multilateral Agreements," Conference papers 333437, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    2. Jayson Beckman & Maros Ivanic & Jeremy Jelliffe & Shawn Arita, 2022. "Adopt or not adopt? Mirror clauses and the European Green Deal," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 2014-2033, December.
    3. Oum, Tae Hoon & Wu, Xiangru & Wang, Kun, 2024. "Impact of air connectivity on bilateral service export and import trade: The case of China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 219-233.
    4. Yang, Yichen & Liu, Wen, 2024. "Free trade agreements and domestic value added in exports: An analysis from the network perspective," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    5. Yulin Hou & Yun Wang & Hakan Yilmazkuday, 2023. "Gravity channels in trade," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(1), pages 37-65, January.
    6. Yoon Heo & Nguyen Khanh Doanh, 2020. "Is NAFTA Trade‐Creating or Trade‐Diverting? A System GMM Approach," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 39(3), pages 222-238, September.
    7. Irina Busygina & Mikhail Filippov, 2018. "Russia And The Eurasian Economic Union: Conflicting Incentives For An Institutional Compromise," HSE Working papers WP BRP 31/IR/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    8. Lim, Eun Son & Breuer, Janice Boucher, 2019. "Free trade agreements and market integration: Evidence from South Korea," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 241-256.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Free Trade Agreements; Self-Enforcing Rules; Transportation Costs; Country Size; Comparative Advantage; Repeated Game;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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