Preferential Trade Liberalization: The Traditional Theory and New Developments
系统梳理优惠贸易区的静态理论，指出初始贸易量或地理邻近性不能作为福利改善的可靠指南，并讨论多优惠贸易区并存、外部关税影响及动态路径等现代文献议题。
This paper begins by systematically developing the “static” theory of preferential trade areas (PTAs) and showing that neither a large volume of initial intra-union trade nor geographical proximity can serve as a guide to welfare enhancing PTAs. The paper then discusses the modern literature addressing welfare effects of simultaneous division of the world into many PTAs, the impact of the decision to form a PTA on external tariffs and the “dynamic” time-path question of whether PTAs are building blocks or stumbling blocks towards multilateral freeing of trade. A final section discusses key theoretical considerations in the empirical evaluation of PTAs.