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Trade liberalization and South African manufacturing: Looking back with data

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  • Ciaran Driver

Abstract

This paper provides a retrospective assessment of the effects of trade policies on South African manufacturing since the transition to democracy, examining the differences and commonalities in the views of economists in favour of and against an acceleration of trade liberalization. Data from the Bureau of Economic Research are used to test a number of effects on manufacturing industry that were envisaged to flow from trade policy reforms, including effects on mark-ups, productivity, exports, employment, and investment.

Suggested Citation

  • Ciaran Driver, 2019. "Trade liberalization and South African manufacturing: Looking back with data," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-30, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2019-30
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/Publications/Working-paper/PDF/wp-2019-30.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Pamela Mondliwa & Sumayya Goga & Simon Roberts, 2021. "Competition, Productive Capabilities and Structural Transformation in South Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(2), pages 253-274, April.

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    Keywords

    Trade policy; Manufacturing; Trade liberalization; Exports; Exchange rate; Data;
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