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Trade and Growth under Limited Liberalization, The Case of Belarus

Author

Listed:
  • Marina Bakanova

    (Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus)

  • L303272cio Vinhas de Souza

    (Tinbergen Institute,Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

This paper studies the connection between trade and growth in the context of a partial and inconsistent liberalization process in a specific Eastern European country in transition towards market economy, namely, the Republic of Belarus. The analysis of the country trade patterns during the USSR period and the years since independence revealed that unlike its close neighbors (the Baltic States and Poland) Belarus did not succeed in changing the commodity or the geographical structure of its trade. It is almost a good representation of reality to say that Belarus trades with Russia. The assessment of the rationale for the closer integration with Russia and the impact of this process on Belarus growth led us to the conclusion that the integration in the form of a non-exclusive Free Trade Area and within the framework of a wider set of international connections rather than the move towards a Customs Union (and a Union State) with Russia would be a more optimal policy for Belarus. This conclusion is supported by the results of country-specific growth regressions and of a counterfactual "free trade experiment" via a small CGE model

Suggested Citation

  • Marina Bakanova & L303272cio Vinhas de Souza, 2001. "Trade and Growth under Limited Liberalization, The Case of Belarus," International Trade 0108005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpit:0108005
    Note: Type of Document - Acrobat PDF; prepared on IBM PC; to print on HP; pages: 31; figures: included
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lúcio Vinhas de Souza, 2004. "A Wider Europe: Trade Relations Between an Enlarged EU and the Russian Federation," CASE Network Studies and Analyses 0279, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    2. Getachew, Asgedom Tessema & Tadele, Ferede & Arega, Hailu & Fantu, Guta, 2005. "The Impact of Regional Economic Cooperation on the Ethiopian Manufacturing Sector: the Case of Common Market for Southern and Eastern Free Trade Area (COMESA-FTA)," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 10(1), pages 1-98, May.
    3. Irina Tochitskaya & Lúcio Vinhas de Souza, 2009. "Trade relations between an enlarged EU and the Russian Federation, and its effects in Belarus," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 1-24, May.
    4. Vinhas de Souza, Lúcio, 2011. "An Initial Estimation of the Economic Effects of the Creation of the EurAsEC Customs Union on Its Members," World Bank - Economic Premise, The World Bank, issue 47, pages 1-7, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Belarus transition trade liberalization;

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • P52 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies

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