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Pollution haven hypothesis and the role of dirty industries in Turkey's exports

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2007

ELİF AKBOSTANCI
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Department of Economics, İsmet İnönü Bulvarı 06531, Ankara Turkey. Tel: +90 312 210 3079. Fax: +90 312 210 7964. E-mail: elifa@metu.edu.tr
G. İPEK TUNÇ
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Department of Economics
SERAP TÜRÜT-AŞIK
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Department of Economics

Abstract

The pollution haven hypothesis maintains that the industries that are highly pollution intensive, i.e. dirty industries, have been migrating from developed economies to the developing world. It is argued that the environmental concerns of the developed economies caused them to enact strict environmental regulations, which have increased the cost of production of the dirty industries at home. On the other hand, the developing countries with their low wages and lax environmental regulations have been attractive alternative producers in these sectors. Thus, developing countries provide pollution havens for dirty industries. In this study, the pollution haven argument for Turkey, for the 1994–1997 period, is examined. The study focuses on the pollution haven hypothesis from the trade perspective by looking at the manufacturing industry data at four-digit ISIC detail by using the panel data approach. It is found that exports increase as the dirtiness of the industries increases, providing some evidence for the pollution haven hypothesis.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

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