Holden, Christopher orcid.org/0000-0003-1874-1408 (2017) Graduated sovereignty and global governance gaps:Special economic zones and the illicit trade in tobacco products. Political Geography. pp. 72-81. ISSN 0962-6298
Abstract
Illicit trade in tobacco products has been a significant problem globally for many years. It allows cigarettes to be sold far below their legal price and thus contributes to higher consumption, morbidity and mortality, and deprives state treasuries of a substantial amount of revenue. This article identifies special economic zones (SEZs), particularly free trade zones, as a key conduit for this illicit trade. The development of SEZs as weak points in the global governance architecture is explained with reference to the concept of ‘graduated sovereignty’, whereby the uniform management of territory by modern states has given way to a more spatially selective form of territorial governance, in which some slices of territory are more fully integrated into the world economy than others via various forms of differential regulation. Attempts to comprehensively (re)regulate SEZs, in the face of growing evidence of the dysfunctionalities that they can engender, have so far been unsuccessful. It is concluded that the neo-liberal global economy has facilitated a regulatory ‘race to the bottom’, a problem that can only ultimately be overcome by international negotiation and agreement.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Free trade zones,Graduated sovereignty,Illicit trade,Special economic zones,Tobacco,Transnational crime |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 22 Mar 2017 15:20 |
Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2024 13:39 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2017.03.002 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.polgeo.2017.03.002 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:114008 |