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How Does Vietnam’s Accession to the World Trade Organization Change the Spatial Incidence of Poverty?

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Part of the book series: Studies in Development Economics and Policy ((SDEP))

Abstract

Trade liberalization is good for growth, and growth is good for the poor. This argument is simple but powerful. It has served as the departure point for a discussion of the link between trade and poverty among economists and policy-makers, regardless of whether and to what extent they buy this argument. Krueger (1998) considers the inefficiencies that import substitution strategy creates, and argues that trade liberalization undertaken at a period of low or negative growth rates can normally lead to a period of higher growth. Bhagwati and Srinivasan (2002) emphasize the empirical evidence of China and India. That is, these two giant economies achieved faster growth and poverty reduction through greater integration into the world economy. Dollar and Kraay (2002, 2004) use cross-country regression to support this argument.

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© 2008 United Nations University

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Fujii, T., Roland-Holst, D. (2008). How Does Vietnam’s Accession to the World Trade Organization Change the Spatial Incidence of Poverty?. In: Nissanke, M., Thorbecke, E. (eds) Globalization and the Poor in Asia. Studies in Development Economics and Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230594005_3

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