区域贸易协定的水平深度对参与全球价值链的影响

The Effect of the Horizontal Depth of Regional Trade Agreements on the Participation in Global Value Chains

本文利用世界银行的贸易协定内容数据库所提供的有关区域贸易协定中的52项条款规定,以及每项条款规定法律可执行性的信息,构建区域贸易协定的水平深度指数,实证检验其对出口经济体参与全球价值链的影响。实证结果表明:区域贸易协定的“总深度”条款对出口经济体在全球价值链中的前向垂直专业化参与率有明显的促进作用;其中“WTO+”条款与“WTO-X深度”条款对出口经济体参与全球价值链的影响具有较大的差异;“核心深度”条款对出口经济体在全球价值链中的前向垂直专业化参与率也有明显的促进作用,但将“核心深度”条款区分为“边界深度”条款与“边界后深度”条款后,只有“边界后深度”条款对出口经济体在全球价值链中的前向垂直专业化参与率有明显的促进作用;在“核心深度”条款中,“边界深度”条款需要与“边界后深度”条款相互配合才能发挥作用,进而对经济体参与全球价值链产生影响。

Using the World Bank’s database on the Content of Deep Trade Agreements,which covered the 52 provisions of the regional trade agreements(RTAs),and the information on the legal enforceability of each of the provisions,the paper developed the“horizontal”depth index and tested its impact on an export economy’s participation in global value chains.The results suggest that the“total depth”clause of RTAs has a significant effect on the forward vertical specialization participation rate of an export economy in global value chains.Among them,the“WTO+”clause and“WTO-X”clause have heterogeneity effect on an export economy’s participation in global value chains.The“core”clause also has a positive effect on the forward vertical specialization participation rate of an export economy in global value chains.However,after dividing the“core”clause into the“border”clause and the“behind the border”clause,only the“behind the border”clause has a positive effect on the forward vertical specialization participation rate in global value chains,which indicates that in the“core”clause,the“border”clause needs to work with the“behind the border”clause,and then has an impact on the participation of an economy in global value chains.