The Limits of Trade Policy Reform in Developing Countries

Trade reform is now raising some new issues. This paper deals with three sets of questions: First, how can trade reform be sustained? Can governments convince business, labor, or consumers that trade reform will be lasting, so as to forestall possible adverse reactions that would jeopardize the sustainability of the reform? Second, what role should trade reform play when it is implemented in the context of macroeconomic instability? Are there potential conflicts between the standard desiderata for trade reform and the requirements of macro stability? Finally, should we be worried about the consequences of trade reform in the imperfectly competitive market environments that characterize the developing economies?