Can regional agreements reduce exports from the South?

Summary In recent years, many preferential trade agreements have been signed that reduce barriers to trade between countries. Many of these agreements have included provisions for non-tariff measures. This research examines whether technical requirements in North-South agreements have an impact on international trade. Specifically, the authors analyze the extent to which the harmonization of technical regulations creates or reinforces a "center-periphery" trade pattern that is potentially harmful to the integration of Southern countries into the global economy. The empirical results of the study confirm this conjecture.