Narrow Results

The price-wedge method yields a tariff-equivalent estimate of technical barriers to trade (TBT). An extension of this method accounts for imperfect substitution between domestic and imported goods and incorporates recent findings on trade costs. We explore the sensitivity of this revamped TBT estimate to its key determinants (substitution elasticity, preference for home good, and trade cost). We use the augmented approach to investigate the recent Japan-U.S. apple trade dispute and find that removing the Japanese TBT would yield limited export gains to the United States. We then draw policy implications of our findings.

The expansion of the U.S. corn seed trade is not well understood. This article econometrically investigates world demand for U.S. corn seeds, focusing on trade costs impeding exports, including transportation, tariffs, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations. The analysis estimates a derived demand for seed by foreign corn producers using data from 48 countries for the years 1989 to 2004. An SPS count variable captures shifts in the cost of seeds faced by foreign users. A sample selection framework accounts for the large presence of zero trade flows. All trade costs have a significantly negative impact on U.S. com seed exports.