Dear co-listers. This is my first message to the list. Hopefully I will find a good advice here to clarify a doubt that I have.

A group of economic students are working in their thesis to graduate as economists. They asked me for advice about the way that they can make an interesting analysis, but I’m not an expert on that field, so maybe somebody here in the list could help me.

 

The work is about how to measure the impact of the Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica and United States in the sugar sector. The CAFTA proposes to increase the quota exported on a fixed basis, so this implies an increase in the physical volume of exports. As I understand from the conversations I had with the group they have clear that they want to measure impact, but they don’t know how and where exactly. I proposed to estimate the impact into welfare of Costa Ricans, or to measure the impact on the exports-imports balance, but I don’t know any useful methodology (also it needs to be simple, since they are undergraduate students).

 

I would like to have clearest vision about the way of approach this interesting topic, so I’m asking for help to this list.

 

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Rodrigo Briceño

Consultor

Sanigest International

San José, Costa Rica

Telf. (506) 291-1200

Fax. (506) 232-0830

Cell (506) 357-4535

www.sanigest.com

Apdo. 23-2015 Zapote Costa Rica

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