Vinicius de Almeida Vale

International trade, pollution, and economic structure: evidence on CO2 emissions for the North and the South

ABSTRACT This study investigates the mechanics of international trade and CO2 emissions in two blocs of countries (‘North’ and ‘South’) by analyzing data from the World Input–Output Database. We adapt the Miyazawa technique to estimate the linkages between international trade and the environment at a global scale. Therefore, this study is in line with the idea of highlighting the role of feedback effects as well as the nature and extent of extra-regional influences on an economy in response to an additional stimulus. This is a contribution that, to our best knowledge, has not yet appeared in the literature. Our results suggest that both the North and the South have become less pollution-intensive (technique effect) over the years. Interestingly and in contrast to much of the literature, we also find support to the hypothesis that the South has specialized in relatively more pollution-intensive activities (composition effect).

Impactos Econômicos do Aumento das Exportações Brasileiras de Produtos Agrícolas e Agroindustriais para Diferentes Destinos

Brazilian export agribusiness activities are considered strategic to the Brazilian trade policy because, besides the contribution to the trade surplus and economic growth in the country, these activities reveal a high degree of insertion in the international trade, both by the number of existing traditional markets and by the capacity to explore new potential markets. Thus, this study analyzes the probable effects of an external demand expansion for agricultural and agroindustrial products in some traditional and potential market, using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model for Brazil, LATES-BR, calibrated to 2011. The projections allow us to do a quantitative assessment of the relative importance of the Brazilian agribusiness traditional and potential markets and it contributes to the ongoing debate of the National Export Plan (PNE). The impacts size of the potential markets, especially countries in South America, when compared with traditional markets, such as the United States of America, is much lower. However, as discussed in our study, the most important issue is not the impact size, but the movement in macroeconomic terms and the trade results, i.e. the potential to explore new markets as an alternative to increase the Brazilian share in the international trade.

Uma Aplicação de Regressão Quantílica para Dados em Painel do PIB e do Pronaf

This study aims to assess the impact of Pronaf on the Brazilian GDP and on sectoral GDP (services, agricultural and industrial) from the application of quantile regression with fixed effects for panel data. Given the criticism regarding the distribution of resources, we also evaluate the different results within the regional context, i.e. the different impacts in the five geographical regions of Brazil (North, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and South). We use the quantile regression model with fixed effects to panel database, since the variables used in the analysis provide strong inequality between municipalities. By observing the response of each quantile, not just from the average, as well as taking into account the control of fixed effects, the effects of Pronaf on GDP can be better captured. Although the program is national, the different results between regions suggest that (i) changes and improvements in Pronaf should be conducted properly to each region and (ii) it is clear the necessity to decentralize resources.