1.   Select a country and provide a brief overview of its recent international trade with two of its trade partners, including data and graphs.

2.   Suggest a theoretical grounding for the observed trade patterns using the theories developed in the course (Gravity, Ricardian, H-O, Standard Trade Model orNew Trade Theory), and explainyour model choice.

This topic provides ample scope for using data. Descriptive statistics, graphs and tables, will be sufficient. You are not required to do econometric analysis.

You are required to use a good mix of sources including the internet, textbooks, newspapers, and academic journals, articles from newspapers and business magazines. You must provide a list of full-ranged references used or referred to in the essay.

Criteria & Marking

Your proposal will be marked on the following criteria:

•   Clarity oftrade overview (3 marks)

•   Use oftrade theories and clarity ofexplanation (6 marks)

•   Evidence ofresearch and use ofrelevant data (3 marks)

•   Writing quality (including essay flow, accuracy, spelling, punctuation, grammar) (4 marks)

•   Presentation (including identification and compliance ofword limit) (1 mark)

•   Referencing (3 marks)

In addition, there are some general points to consider:

•   Your essay must have a cover page detailing your ID and word count.

•   Remember to give a total word count (excluding references) on the cover page.

•   Any reference style is allowed, but it must be consistent (i.e. same style throughout the essay).

•   Please check you citation’s accuracy, even ifit is pre-filled from Google Scholar or UQ Library.

•   You cannot cite Wikipedia or Investopedia.

•   Ifgraphs/figures are used, remember to quote the source.

•   Use academic writing style and not creative writing style.

•   Do not plagiarize! It will be dealt with very seriously in UQ and is simply not worth trying.