Economic Integration, Inter- and Intra-Industry Trade: The Case of Sweden and the EC
研究了瑞典与欧共体建立制成品自由贸易后，贸易模式的变化，发现瑞典在高需求增长和高技术更新行业中的净出口地位改善，支持了国内市场限制导致初始劣势被自由贸易协定缓解的假说。
When trade is heavily restricted, a small country may show a false comparative disadvantage in differentiated products at an early stage in the life cycle, because firms are confined to a small domestic market. An analysis of changes in the pattern of trade between Sweden and the EC after the establishment of free trade in manufactures shows that the Swedish net export position improved in industries with high rates of growth in demand and turnover of technology. The results provide some support for the hypothesis that an initial Swedish disadvantage in product cycle goods, caused by the limitations of the domestic market, was reduced by the free trade agreement. I. Background The decision to create the EC internal market and the recent EEA agreement, according to which the EFTA countries are given an opportunity to participate in the European integration process, raises questions regarding the integration effects on trade and specialization. This process implies the elimination of a number of nontariff barriers, such as border controls, discrimination against imports in public procurement and technical barriers to trade, as well as general deregulation and promotion of competition. Swedish participation in the internal market will change the volume and structure of Swedish trade with the EC. It is not clear, however, precisely what these effects would be. Would further integration with the Common Market result in more inter-industry trade and specialization according to