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Agricultural Trade Reform and Rural Prosperity: Lessons from China

Author

Listed:
  • Jikun Huang
  • Yu Liu
  • Will Martin
  • Scott Rozelle

Abstract

Tariffs on agricultural products fell sharply in China both prior to, and as a consequence of, China's accession to the WTO. The paper examines the nature of agricultural trade reform in China since 1981, and finds that protection was quite strongly negative for most commodities, and particularly for exported goods, at the beginning of the reforms. Since then, the taxation of agriculture has declined sharply, with the abolition of production quotas and procurement pricing, and reductions in trade distortions for both imported and exported goods. Rural well-being has improved partly because of these reforms, and also because of strengthening of markets, public investment in infrastructure, research and development, health and education, and reductions in barriers to mobility of labor out of agriculture. Many challenges remain in improving rural incomes and reducing rural poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Jikun Huang & Yu Liu & Will Martin & Scott Rozelle, 2008. "Agricultural Trade Reform and Rural Prosperity: Lessons from China," NBER Working Papers 13958, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13958
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anderson, Kym & Kurzweil, Marianne & Martin, Will & Sandri, Damiano & Valenzuela, Ernesto, 2008. "Measuring distortions to agricultural incentives, revisited," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 675-704, October.
    2. Renfu Luo & Linxiu Zhang & Jikun Huang & Scott Rozelle, 2010. "Village Elections, Public Goods Investments and Pork Barrel Politics, Chinese-style," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 662-684.
    3. Sicular, Terry, 1988. "Plan and Market in China's Agricultural Commerce," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(2), pages 283-307, April.
    4. Anderson, Kym & Kurzweil, Marianne & Martin, William J. & Sandri, Damiano & Valenzuela, Ernesto, 2008. "Methodology for Measuring Distortions to Agricultural Incentives," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48326, World Bank.
    5. Jikun Huang & Ninghui Li & Scott Rozelle, 2003. "Trade Reform, Household Effects, and Poverty in Rural China," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1292-1298.
    6. Alan de Brauw & John Giles, 2018. "Migrant Labor Markets and the Welfare of Rural Households in the Developing World: Evidence from China," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 32(1), pages 1-18.
    7. Yaohui Zhao, 1999. "Leaving the Countryside: Rural-to-Urban Migration Decisions in China," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(2), pages 281-286, May.
    8. Allan N. Rae & Hengyun Ma & Jikun Huang & Scott Rozelle, 2006. "Livestock in China: Commodity-Specific Total Factor Productivity Decomposition Using New Panel Data," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(3), pages 680-695.
    9. Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott, 1996. "Technological change: Rediscovering the engine of productivity growth in China's rural economy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 337-369, May.
    10. Terry Sicular & Yue Ximing & Björn Gustafsson & Li Shi, 2007. "The Urban–Rural Income Gap And Inequality In China," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 53(1), pages 93-126, March.
    11. Albert Park & Hehui Jin & Scott Rozelle & Jikun Huang, 2002. "Market Emergence and Transition: Arbitrage, Transaction Costs, and Autarky in China's Grain Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 84(1), pages 67-82.
    12. Kym Anderson & Will Martin, 2009. "Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Asia," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2611.
    13. Daniel H. Rosen & Scott Rozelle & Jikan Huang, 2004. "Roots of Competitiveness: China's Evolving Agriculture Interests," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number pa72, April.
    14. Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott & Martin, William J. & Liu, Yu, 2007. "Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in China," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48478, World Bank.
    15. Balat, Jorge F. & Porto, Guido G., 2005. "The WTO Doha Round, cotton sector dynamics, and poverty trends in Zambia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3697, The World Bank.
    16. Deepak Bhattasali & Shantong Li & Will Martin, 2004. "China and the WTO : Accession, Policy Reform, and Poverty Reduction Strategies," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14920.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yang, Jun & Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott & Martin, Will, 2012. "Where is the balance? Implications of adopting Special Products and Sensitive Products in Doha negotiations for world and China's agriculture," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 651-664.
    2. repec:bla:eurcho:v:8:y:2009:i:specialissuechina:p:10-16 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Colin A. Carter & Funing Zhong & Jing Zhu, 2009. "Development of Chinese Agriculture since WTO Accession," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 8(2), pages 10-16, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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