Abstract
Explaining the Structure of Foreign Trade: Where Do We Stand?— During the last two decades, new research has greatly advanced our understanding of the structure of world trade. This article reviews the empirical literature that grew out of this effort and the theoretical developments that have been relevant for the empirical studies. But despite this research effort, explanations of foreign trade are still incomplete. We need a more technologically oriented trade theory and more emphasis on dynamics in order to understand the developments in international trade. JEL no F1, F14
Zusammenfassung
Wo stehen wir bei der Erklärung der Struktur des Außenhandels? —Neue Forschungen haben in den letzten Jahrzehnten das Verständnis der Struktur des Welthandels stark gefördert. Der Verfasser läßt die empirische Literatur Revue passieren, die aus diesen Bemühungen erwuchs, und die theoretischen Entwicklungen, die für die empirischen Untersuchungen relevant waren. Aber trotz der Forschungsanstrengungen der letzten Jahrzehnte sind die Erklärungen des Außenhandels immer noch unvollständig. Um die Entwicklungen des internationalen Handels besser zu verstehen, ist eine mehr technologisch orientierte Handelstheorie sowie eine stärkere Betonung der Dynamik erforderlich.
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Remark: Lecture delivered at the Kiel Institute of World Economics on the occasion of being awarded the Bernhard Harms Prize on June 27, 1998.
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Helpman, E. Explaining the structure of foreign trade: Where do we stand?. Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv 134, 573–589 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02773288
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02773288