Market Access Rivalry and Eco-labeling Standards: Are Eco-labels Non-tariff Barriers in Disguise?

摘要: Despite the merits of eco-labeling as a consumer information and market-based environmental policy alternative, promise that green consumerism holds in encouraging environmentally conscious production decisions also raises concerns over whether deters market access developing countries high income countries, e®ectively serves role non-tari® barrier to trade. In this paper, we disentangle world trade, show (i) imperfectly informed consumption decision making absence labeling has pro-trade bias; (ii) can guide reach e±ciency frontier, provided (iii) choice standards two are not subject coordination failure. Taking endogenously determined by share rivalry between strategic use gives rise opposing incentives, results \tari®-like" outcome further reduces volume Speci¯cally, net importers deviate from frontier choosing too high, while exporters choose low.