Potential Effects of Trade Liberalization on China’s Imports of Plastics From the GCC

Initiative Regional Energy Markets
Type Discussion paper
Date 4 June 2018

Abstract

Petrochemical products, particularly plastics, contribute to a significant share of expanding and increasingly diverse trade flows between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and China. The petrochemical sector could benefit from a preferential bilateral trade regime between China and the GCC, but has been a bone of contention in the GCC-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation process. This study applies a dual-stage model of import demand functions to estimate the impact of trade liberalization scenarios, within an FTA framework, on China’s imports of major plastics from the GCC and the rest of the world. It assesses the implications of these scenarios for all parties.

Authors

Philipp Galkin

Visiting Researcher Philipp is a visiting researcher at KAPSARC, working on the economic and policy aspects of energy supply and trade. Philipp’s… Philipp is a visiting researcher at KAPSARC, working on the economic and policy aspects of energy supply and trade. Philipp’s work at KAPSARC includes evaluating the effect of preferential trade agreements on energy flows, analysis of OPEC energy policy and deriving insights related to China’s energy policy and its impact on global markets through modeling energy supply sectors.

Expertise

International economic relations
Regional and country studies and policy analysis

Publications See all Philipp Galkin’s publications

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Carlo Andrea Bollino

Visiting Researcher Carlo Andrea Bollino is a Professor of Economics at the University of Perugia and Professor of Energy Economics at the… Carlo Andrea Bollino is a Professor of Economics at the University of Perugia and Professor of Energy Economics at the University LUISS, Rome. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was supervised by Nobel laureate Professor Lawrence Klein. He has been a Visiting Researcher at KAPSARC since 2015, focusing on econometric analysis, electricity market reform and climate change policy analysis. He is a Visiting Professor at Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany, the President (honorary) of the Italian Association for Energy Economics. He was the President of the IAEE in 2008, the President of GSE (Italian Renewable Energy Agency) and GRTN (Italian Electric Transmission network); Energy Advisor to the Minister of Industry and Ministry of Treasury of Italy; Chief Economist, ENI; Economist, Bank of Italy; and a Research Associate at Project Link for the United Nations. He has testified to the Italian Senate and Parliament briefings and has provided various governments with technical and policy reports on electricity market liberalization and renewable energy developments.

Expertise

Consumer Behavior
Investment
Energy and Environment
Macroeoconometric Modeling

Publications See all Carlo Andrea Bollino’s publications

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Rami Shabaneh

Research Fellow Rami Shabaneh is a fellow in the Oil and Gas program, with a focus on global gas and hydrogen markets.… Rami Shabaneh is a fellow in the Oil and Gas program, with a focus on global gas and hydrogen markets. Rami has nearly 15 years of research and industry experience analyzing energy markets and energy policy. Before joining KAPSARC, Rami worked at Cenovus Energy as a market fundamentals analyst, providing analytic support on specific issues affecting North American gas, natural gas liquids and condensate markets. His work informed the company’s hedging strategies. Before working at Cenovus Energy, Rami spent three years as a research economist at the Canadian Energy Research Institute. He holds a B.Sc. in actuarial science and an M.Sc. in sustainable energy development from the University of Calgary.

Expertise