Processes of trade liberalisation in the Western Balkans and changes in its product structure Cover Image

Procesy liberalizacji handlu państw Bałkanów Zachodnich a zmiany w jego strukturze produktowej
Processes of trade liberalisation in the Western Balkans and changes in its product structure

Author(s): Edward Molendowski, Łukasz Klimczak
Subject(s): Economy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu
Keywords: Western Balkans; international trade; trade liberalisation; trade concentration; production factors; changes in trade structure

Summary/Abstract: The structure and scope of the product concentration of export have a strong impact on the dynamics of economic growth. The aim of this paper was to verify three hypothesis related to the influence of trade liberalisation of the Western Balkan (WB) countries, mainly Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) and CEFTA-2006 agreement, on their product structure of trade. The research did not allow to positively verify the hypothesis stating that trade liberalisation of less developed countries resulted in their deepened specialisation in production and export of raw materials and labour-intensive goods. Moreover, liberalisation processes turned out not to have had much impact on product concentration of the WB countries’ trade, no matter if SAP or CEFTA-2006 were considered. Finally, the substitutability of capital and labour factors in the production process of exported goods was confirmed, as well as a higher competitiveness of the export structures of the WB countries.

  • Issue Year: 2016
  • Issue No: 11
  • Page Range: 71-85
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish