Thomas Vollrath

Agricultural Economist
202-694-5241
thomasv@ers.usda.gov

Briefly

Thomas Vollrath is a senior research economist with the Global Agricultural Markets Branch, Market and Trade Economics Division. His research interests are in the areas of market integration in North American agriculture, macroeconomic influences affecting U.S. trade, market access in high-value foods, bilateral fiber and textile trade, and the forces of globalization determining the direction, composition, and volume of partner trade.

Background

Leader of the 2005-06 ERS research initiative aimed at identifying the economic drivers of bilateral trade in differentiated products and bulk commodities throughout the global network of food trade. Leader of the 2003-04 ERS priority project, Fiber and Textiles in a Post Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA) World, which aimed to identify the factors shaping trade in the sector before and after the removal of bilateral quotas in accordance with the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing. Leader of the 2000-02 ERS priority project, North American Agricultural Market Integration, which entailed an integrated program of research that addressed the effectiveness of policies and programs affecting the structure and performance of agricultural markets within and among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Co-leader of the 1999-2004 Emerging Market Project for India (co-sponsored by ERS and USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service), which involved formulating and implementing research plans, facilitating communication between ERS personnel and project participants in India, providing logistical support to project analysts, and monitoring cooperative agreements with external institutions. Project Chairperson for the outreach program of the Friends of Burkina Faso.

Education

Thomas received his Ph.D. and M.S. from the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Tennessee in Knoxville and his B.A. from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.

Professional Affiliations

Thomas is a member of the American Agricultural Economics Association.

Selected Publications

Vollrath, Thomas, Mark Gehlhar, and Charles Hallahan. December 2006. "Consumer Demand and Cost Factors Shape the Global Trade Network in Commodity and Manufactured Foods," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 54: 497-51.

Hamrick, Karen, Stephen MacDonald, Leslie Meyer, Richard Reeder Thomas Vollrath and Tim Wojan. September 2006. U.S. Textile and Apparel Industries and Rural America, chapter in ERS Cotton Briefing Room.

Vollrath, Thomas and Charles Hallahan. March 2006. "Testing the Integration of U.S.-Canadian Meat and Livestock Markets," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 54: 55-79.

MacDonald, Stephen and Thomas Vollrath. April 2005. The Forces Shaping World Cotton Consumption After the Multifiber Arrangement, Outlook Report CWS-05c-01. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Regmi, Anita, Mark Gehlhar, John Wainio, Thomas Vollrath, Paul Johnston, and Nitin Kathuria. February 2005. Market Access for High-Value Foods, Agricultural Economic Report 840. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Doan, Darcie, Andrew Goldstein, Steven Zahniser, Tom Vollrath, and Chris Bolling. January 2005. "North American Integration in Agriculture: A Survey Paper," North American Agrifood Market Integration: Situation and Perspectives, Karen Huff, Karl Meilke, Ronald Knutson, Rene Ochoa, James Rude, and Antonio Yunez-Naude (editors), pp. 51-85. University of Guelph.

Vollrath, Thomas and Mark Gehlhar. September 2004. Bilateral Fiber and Textile Trade Database. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vollrath, Thomas, Mark Gehlhar, and Stephen MacDonald. September 2004. "The Changing World Network of Trade in Textiles and Apparel," Amber Waves, Vol. 2, No. 3. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vollrath, Thomas L. January 2004. "Gauging NAFTA’s Success and Confronting Future Challenges." In "NAFTA at 10: An In-Depth Look at the Trade Agreement’s Record Serving Countries, Commodities and Consumers," AgExporter. Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vollrath, Thomas L. September 2003. North American Agricultural Market Integration and Its Impact on the Food and Fiber System, Agricultural Information Bulletin 784. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vollrath, Thomas L. September 2003. "North America: One Market, Big Payoffs, Many Challenges." Amber Waves, Vol 1., No. 4. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vollrath, Thomas L. October 1998. "RTAs and Agricultural Trade: A Retrospective Assessment." Regional Trade Agreements and U.S. Agriculture, Mary Burfisher and Elizabeth Jones (editors), Agricultural Economic Report 771. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Vollrath, Thomas and Mark Gehlhar. November 1997. What Determines U.S. and EU Trade Market Shares? Agricultural Outlook. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Gehlhar, Mark and Thomas Vollrath. February 1997. U.S. Export Performance in Agricultural Markets, Technical Bulletin 1854. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Gehlhar, Mark, Mathew Shane, and Thomas Vollrath. Third Quarter 1996. "Growth of Consumer-oriented Trade: Implications for the U.S. Agricultural Market Share," Choices. American Agricultural Economics Association.

Vollrath, Thomas L. October 1994. "The Role of Agriculture and Its Prerequisites in Economic Development: A Vision for Foreign Development Assistance," Food Policy, Vol. 19, No. 5: 469-478.

Vollrath, Thomas L. November 1993. Trade Competitiveness of U.S. Agriculture, Agriculture Information Bulletin 664-68. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Pick, Daniel and Thomas Vollrath. 1993. "Real Exchange Rate Misalignment and Agricultural Export Performance in Developing Countries," Economic Development and Cultural Change.

Vollrath Thomas and Paul Johnston. Winter 1992. "The Influence of the Commodity Composition of Trade on Economic Growth," Journal of Agricultural Economics Research.

Vollrath, Thomas L. June 1991. "A Theoretical Evaluation of Alternative Trade Intensity Measures of Revealed Comparative Advantage," Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv.