Guida Piani

Mercosul: o dilema entre união aduaneira e área de livre-comércio

A synthetic resin pipe intended for underground use is disclosed having both an improved strength and flexibility but reduced weight. An inner layer of the body of the pipe is formed of a synthetic resin, and a reinforcing layer is wound around the inner layer. The reinforcing layer is porous, and may be composed of a helically wound punched metal belt, mesh, or the like. An outer layer composed of a helically wound belt of synthetic resin having a high fusibility with the material of the inner layer is formed over the reinforcing layer. A reinforcing rib, forming the corrugations of the pipe, is wound around the outer layer. If desired, the reinforcing rib can be made integral with the belt of the outer layer.

Antidumping and Safeguard Mechanisms: The Brazilian Experience, 1988-2003

The authors focus on the evaluation of the antidumping regime from 1988 through 2003. During these years the Brazilian economy had to cope with several periods of macroeconomic instability and overvaluation of the domestic currency, particularly from 1990-92 and 1994-98. As a result, from 1992 through 1998, import volumes increased significantly. Although during these years, the demand for antidumping protection was growing, the number of investigations concluded with an affirmative determination was only 52 percent. The authors explain that the institutional framework in charge of administering the antidumping regime was subject to several reforms. Along this process, the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Trade saw its role strengthened. This ministry has a more protectionist bias than the Ministry of Finance that, during the initial years of the liberalization program, played a prominent role in decisions regarding antidumping investigations and measures. The authors conclude that in comparison with other countries that are important users of the antidumping mechanism, the Brazilian experience reveals two interesting features: 1) A relatively small rate of final positive determinations. 2) A tradition of applying antidumping duties in amounts that on average have been quite lower than the full dumping margins.

Tarifas De Importação E Evasão Fiscal No Brasil

Tax evasion in Brazilian imports has been an issue of concern for the customs authorities. This problem is addressed here using the theoretical approach of defining evasion as the difference between the value of exports of other countries to country-regionBrazil and value of imports reported by country-regionplaceBrazil. This makes it possible to quantify the effects of high import tariff rates on tax evasion due mainly to underreporting of value. The main empirical result of the paper is that a one-percentage-point increase in the tariff rate implies a 3.1% increase in evasion. Furthermore, we identify an also robust elasticity of evasion of 3.2%for differentiated products in contrast with a lower value of 2.2% for homogeneous products.

Elasticidade de Substituição das Importações no Brasil

As estimativas dos impactos sobre as importacoes devido a acordos comerciais dependem fundamentalmente das elasticidades de substituicao (ESs) entre as importacoes de diferentes fornecedores estrangeiros. Este trabalho estima as ESs das importacoes do Brasil, para 42 setores da matriz de insumo-produto de 2005, destacando as diferencas nos custos de transporte e na tarifa efetivamente paga entre os produtos, segundo os paises de procedencia. As elasticidades obtidas sao significantes a 1% para 39 setores, com media simples de 6,6 e amplitude de 4,7 e 13,7. A disponibilidade das ESs proprias para o Brasil permitira obter calculos mais precisos dos efeitos provocados por uma eventual participacao brasileira em novos acordos de liberalizacao comercial. Estimates of the impacts on imports due to trade agreements depend fundamentally on the elasticity of substitution between imports from different foreign suppliers. This paper estimate the elasticity of substitution for Brazilian imports, for 42 sectors of input-output table for 2005, highlighting the differences in transportation costs and the effectively paid tariffs between products, depending on the country of origin. The elasticities obtained are statistically significant for 1% to 39 sectors, with the arithmetic average of 6.6 and the amplitude of 4.7 and 13.7. The availability of the own elasticities for Brazil will provide more accurate calculations of the effects of a possible Brazilian participation in new trade liberalization agreements.

Preferential Trade Area: Are Rules of Origin a Substitute for Tariffs? (Acordos Preferenciais de Comercio: Os Regimes de Origem Substituem as Tarifas?)

The institution of special trade relations, such as in preferential-trade areas (PTAs)requires some evidence of the origin of the products that may benefit from theconcessions. These conditions constitute the so-called rules of origin. These rules aredesigned to preclude the exports from outside countries to the PTAs through thecountry-member with the lowest tariffs. However, like other measures applied in theinternational trade, the rules of origin can be used as non-tariff barriers and conferhigher levels of protection to some sectors.The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the regimes of rules of originadopted by Nafta, Mercosur and that used by the European Union in its GeneralSystem of Preferences (GSP). In addition, it will be investigated to what extent the?hidden? protection provided by the use of rules of origin can be associated withdifferences in the tariff rates. The empirical results suggest that the incidence of morerigorous criteria to confer origin is easily detected in some sectors considered?sensitive? in the developed countries, such as agricultural products, food, textiles andclothing and footwear.

Mercosur: The Dilemma Between Custom Union and Free Trade Area

In the first half of 2001, the government of Argentina undertook some changes in the import tariffs of some products, eroding the Common External Tariff (CET) of Mercosur. In particular, the tariff rates of capital goods were reduced to zero, an action with potential negative implications for the Brazilian industry of such goods. In this paper the authors address two problems. First, in the case of the maintenance of the custom union they examine the best structures for the CET, such that the different interests related to competitiveness and economic growth in the four member countries could be reconciled. If such agreement is not reached, the authors then consider the case of Mercosur being transformed into a free trade zone. This would probably reinforce the requisites of regional content in the products exchanged and the negative effects of trade diversion could be enhanced.