FISCAL CONSTRAINTS, COLLECTION COSTS, AND TRADE POLICIES

Author: Keiko Kubota

Source: Economics and Politics, Volume 17, Number 1, March 2005 , pp. 129-150(22)

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Abstract:

The last two decades witnessed trade liberalization in many developing countries. What caused this trend, and why have trade barriers been so ubiquitous when economic theory overwhelmingly supports free trade? This paper proposes that governments' revenue needs are the driving force. Governments may rely disproportionately on trade taxes because they are inexpensive to collect. Trade liberalization is an integral part of a tax reform: a tax base expansion is necessary to allow governments to reduce tariff rates. This hypothesis is supported by a panel data analysis of 27 developing countries.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0343.2005.00149.x

Affiliations: 1: World Bank, Washington, DC , Email: kkubota@worldbank.org

Publication date: 2005-03-01