Patterns and Determinants of International Trade Costs in the Food Industry
研究了1976-2000年间发达国家与发展中国家加工食品的国际贸易成本模式，发现贸易成本平均下降约13%，新兴国家下降26%，但南方国家未下降；地理和历史因素比基础设施和制度更重要。
Abstract This paper documents patterns in international trade costs in processed foods for a large cross‐section of developing and developed countries, during the 1976–2000 period. A trade costs index is inferred from a micro‐founded gravity equation that incorporates bilateral ‘iceberg’ trade costs. For 2000, the trade costs, expressed as weighted average tariff equivalent, range from 73% for the north to 134% for the south countries. The time patterns show an average reduction of about 13% in the observed period that rises to 26% for the emerging countries. However, the same does not occur for south countries. On ranking the trade costs determinants, we find that, on average, geographical and historical factors seem to dominate those of infrastructure and institutions. However, trade policy emerges as an important determinant of the trade costs between north and emerging countries.