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Articles“International Standards and Trade: A review of the Empirical Literature.”
“International Standards and Trade: A review of the Empirical Literature.”
OECD Trade Policy Working Paper No.97
While there is a large literature on the economic theory of international standards, and their presumed effects, we know much less about how international standards work in practice. The OECD paper reviews the body of empirical work that has investigated the specific question: How international standards impact on international trade? Do they help or hinder trade? The work reviewed ranges from econometric studies to surveys of exporting firms.
A mapping of the findings from econometric models shows that there is often, but not always, a positive relationship between international standards and exports or imports, which is in line with the widely held view that international standards are supportive of trade.
The full paper can be downloaded at the OECD website: Read more