The Unassuming Economist

Source: IMF Working Paper (2022)

In this paper, the authors have developed a new measure of aggregate trade restrictions (MATR) using data from the IMF’s Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions. It covers an unbalanced panel of 157 countries annually between 1949 and 2019, and is correlated with existing measures of openness and trade policy.

“MATR aggregates the multitude of ways that countries restrict the international trade of goods and services. The underlying variables cover tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and restrictions on requiring, obtaining, and using foreign exchange for current transactions. More precisely, MATR is based on the IMF’s AREAER binary variables related to: (i) exchange measures; (ii) arrangements for payments and receipts; (iii) imports and imports payments; (iv) exports and exports proceeds; and (v) payment and proceeds from invisible transfers and current transfers.”

In the second half of the paper, they establish its efficiency as a measure by using it to investigate the aftermath of trade restrictions across parameters like region, time, income groups etc.