Effects of Tariffication: Tariffs and Quotas under Monopolistic Competition

Recent rounds of GATT and later WTO have advocated widespread tariffication, meaning that existing non-tariff barriers be converted into import equivalent tariffs. From an economic point of view, the effects of such tariffication are not entirely clear. The paper presents a trade model with monopolistic competition to examine the welfare effects of tariffication. The ranking of pre- and post-tariffication welfare crucially depends on the nature of the initial trade barrier and the tariff tool applied. Tariffication using a specific (ad valorem) tariff results in the same (reduced) welfare level compared to an initial sold quota, whereas welfare is increased (the same) compared to an initial shared quota.     

More on tariffs vs. import quotas

This paper uses the offer-curve approach to analyze the welfare effects of a tariff and of the static-equivalent quota in a country which experiences changes in its import demand. For a small country, a tariff is always superior to the static-equivalent quota when it experiences an increase in its import demand. On the other hand, a tariff is always inferior to the static-equivalent quota when it experiences a decrease in its import demand. However, one cannot rank a tariff and the static-equivalent quota from a welfare standpoint in a large country. This is true whether the large country experiences an increase or a decrease in its import demand.     

Determinants of agro-food trade competition of Central European countries with the European Union

The two-way trade flows are classified into four competition categories: successful price competition when trade surplus is at lower export than import price, unsuccessful price competition when trade deficit is at higher export than import price, successful quality competition when trade surplus is at higher export than import price, and unsuccessful quality competition when trade deficit is at lower export than import price. Using a panel dataset of determinants of agro-food trade competition between the five Central European Countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and the European Union, we found the effect of trade balance on trade competition to be more significant than the effect of export–import unit values. Natural, and to a lesser extent human factor endowments increase price and quality competition and reduce unsuccessful price and quality competition. R&D expenditures improve quality competition and reduce price competition. Foreign direct investment reduces unsuccessful price competition and increases unsuccessful quality competition. The size of the economy improves price competition and reduces quality competition. Consumer demands associated with higher level of income per capita increase unsuccessful price and quality competition.     

价格贸易条件变动、进口关税削减与中国加入WTO的生产率效应

本文使用中国加入WTO之后的2002～2009年数据,构建面板数据模型来检验了价格贸易条件变动动和进口关税削减对产出和全员劳动生产率的影响。我们的检验结果表明,价格贸易条件的改善显著地促进了我国生产率的增长,价格贸易条件对生产率的影响体现为一种结构效应和资源配置效应的综合。在结构效应和资源配置效应总体为正的情形下,价格贸易条件的波动才能体现出正的生产率效应。进口关税水平的削减对我国生产率的影响为负,因为削减进口关税税率所推动的进口贸易的增长,在很大程度上带来的负的竞争效应要大于其所带来的技术溢出效应。本文的研究对于我国进一步改革开放战略,尤其是对我国进行区域间的经贸合作或者建立自由贸易区都有着一定的启示。     

Impacts of trade liberalisation on aggregate import in Bangladesh: An ARDL Bounds test approach

Bangladesh has been liberalising its trade regime extensively since 1992 in order to achieve higher trade performance and GDP growth. However, despite the long period of liberalisation, imports are still growing faster than exports, increasing the trade deficit. Trade liberalisation is considered a crucial contributory factor. The paper examines the impact of trade liberalisation on the aggregate import in Bangladesh, using the ARDL Bounds Test approach with annual time series data from 1972–1973 to 2004–2005. Empirical results suggest that trade liberalisation through reduction of the import duty rate increases the aggregate import substantially in the short run, but insignificantly in the long run. Trade liberalisation using simplification of non-tariff measures shows a significant but low positive impact on the aggregate import in the long run. Liberalisation interaction with price decreases imports slightly hence improves the trade balance, while interaction with income increases imports slightly hence worsens the trade balance. An increase in imports is mainly stimulated by an increase in income. Moreover, higher income elasticity compared to price elasticity indicates that an effort to maintain imports at the desired level by increasing import duty could be counter balanced and ineffective. Therefore, a consistent policy to promote not only consumption of domestically produced products, but investment, production, and backward linkage industries is essential in order to improve the trade balance and GDP growth in Bangladesh.     

What information is needed for welfare-enhancing policies under international oligopoly?

In the framework of international Cournot oligopoly, we analyze welfare-enhancing policies when policymakers have only limited information on demand and cost structures. We show that even if policymakers have no idea about costs and demand, they can raise welfare by introducing a small production subsidy. If the government knows that demand is not very convex, a small tariff can be used to enhance welfare. With strategic complements, a small import reduction by an import quota deteriorates welfare while a small increase in the number of domestic firms improves welfare. In other cases, some more information is required to determine right policies.     

Novel indicators of the trade and welfare effects of agricultural distortions in OECD countries

Agricultural markets in OECD countries have long been highly distorted by government policies. Traditional weighted average aggregates of the price distortions involved, such as producer and consumer support estimates (PSEs and CSEs), can be poor indicators of the trade restrictiveness and economic welfare losses associated with them, especially if a country’s support estimates vary a lot across the product range. Certainly estimates of trade and welfare effects of price supports can be obtained from sectoral or economywide models using price elasticity estimates, but the results can be contentious if there is no consensus on what model specification and elasticity parameters to use. This paper shows that, if there is a willingness to accept simple assumptions about elasticities, it is possible to generate indicators of the welfare and trade restrictiveness of agricultural policies using no more than the price and quantity data needed to generate PSEs and CSEs. These new indexes thus provide an attractive supplement to the current policy monitoring regime developed by the OECD Secretariat.     

Food crisis and export taxation: the cost of non-cooperative trade policies

This paper aims to assess the rationales for export taxes in the context of a food crisis. First, we summarize the effects of export taxes using both partial and general equilibrium theoretical models. When large countries aim to maintain constant domestic food prices, in the event of an increase in world agricultural prices, the optimal response is to decrease import tariffs in net food-importing countries and to increase export tariffs in net food-exporting countries. The latter decision improves national welfare, while the former reduces national welfare: this is the price that must be paid to keep domestic food prices constant. Small net food-importing countries are harmed by both decisions, while small net food-exporting countries gain from both. Second, we illustrate the costs of a lack of regulation and cooperation surrounding such policies in a time of crisis using a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, mimicking the mechanisms that appeared during the recent food price surge (2006–2008). This model illustrates the interdependence of trade policies, as well as how a process of retaliation and counter-retaliation (increased export taxes in large net food-exporting countries and reduced import tariffs in large net food-importing countries) can contribute to successive augmentations of world agricultural prices and harm small net food-importing countries. We conclude with a call for international regulation, in particular because small net food-importing countries may be substantially harmed by those policies that amplify the already negative impact of a food crisis.     

China＇s Penetration of the Korean Market： Stylized Facts and Welfare Effect

China＇s penetration of the world market has been impressive. This paper uses highly disaggregated Korean import data （from 1992 to 2008） to examine China ＇s penetration of the Korean market in the context of the composition of value （the extensive and intensive margins） and the product type （homogeneous and differentiated） in trade. The increase in Chinese imports has been attributed to the rapid increase in the import of new products （the extensive margin） and of existing products （the intensive margin）. However, the growth rate of new products decelerated in the 2000s. The growth in the intensive margin was due to quantity, not price. Chinese imports to Korea did not improve over the period in terms of quality. Although Chinese products became cheaper, they were more differentiated over time. Welfare gains were realized through the expanded introduction of new products from China. However, much of the gains from Korea＇s Chinese product import boom were realized in earlier years （1992 -2000） because even though imported products became more differentiated, the increase in the extensive margin was lower in more recent years （2001- 2008）.     

国际贸易环境对我国纺织品出口影响的经济学分析

文章从经济学角度对当前我国纺织品出口面临的国际贸易环境进行研究,对各种贸易保护措施的影响归类分析,得出我国出口纺织行业在成本、价格、数量、贸易条件、行业福利和贸易流向方面均受到不利影响的结论。     

Exchange Rates and Prices under Processing Trade: A Macroeconomic Analysis

In an economy dominated by labor-intensive processing trade, such as China, real exchange rate appreciation can possibly increase rather than decrease net exports. As the import content of processed exports (a proxy for dependence on processing trade) increases in its continuum, the stable equilibrium for the exchange rate and price level eventually yields to a saddle-point equilibrium. Unless the initial inflation (or deflation) rate is uniquely moderate at a given exchange rate, either the depreciation-inflation spiral or the appreciation-deflation spiral can dominate. Monetary and fiscal policies can help a processing-trade dependent country in structural transition from excessive engagement in processing trade (the saddle-point equilibrium) to a more sustainable and balanced trade structure.     

COVID-19 and trade: Simulated asymmetric loss

This paper uses 2018 data as a benchmark to build a numerical 26-country global general equilibrium model with trade cost and an endogenous trade imbalance structure. We assume that COVID-19 will increase the trade cost between countries and decrease labor supply in production. We use China’s trade data from January to April in 2020 to calibrate the influence level parameters and then simulate the trade effects of COVID-19 in China, the EU, the US, and the world. Our simulation results find that all countries’ trade and exports will be significantly hurt by the pandemic. Due to the trade diversion effect and the price growth effect, some countries will see an increase in import trade. Comparatively, the pandemic has the most negative impact on global trade, followed by the EU, the US, and China. As the pandemic deepens, the negative impact on trade will increase. The worldwide pandemic has the most significant impact on US trade, with an effect about 1.5 times that of the average world effect.     

中国国防支出对经济贸易影响的实证研究

中国在一体化经济和军民融合的新时代背景下,研究国防支出对经济贸易的影响机制具有重要价值。通过对中国近三十年来国防支出对国内生产总值和对外进出口贸易的影响进行实证研究可以发现：中国的国防支出可以促进经济增长,而对外贸易能够促进国防支出增加且对外进口贸易对其影响增幅较大。同时,根据研究结论提出中国要稳步增加国防支出、优化出口贸易结构、加大产业科研投入、推动区域协调发展的政策建议。     

贸易摩擦背景下关税与货币政策反制策略研究

通过将贸易品美元定价约束、外汇噪声交易和关税反制等特征融入两国DSGE模型，文章对贸易摩擦背景下美国进口关税冲击的传导渠道以及中国的关税反制策略与货币应对政策有效性等问题进行了数值分析。研究发现，关税反制措施能够有效地对冲美国加征进口关税对中国实际产出、消费和净出口的消极影响，并有助于抑制人民币实际汇率贬值。若进一步搭配将出口品关税纳入利率调控框架的积极货币政策，对于经济扩张与保持汇率稳定都更加有效。但从长期社会福利角度看，积极货币政策对美国经济也具有明显的正向溢出作用，关税反制则会产生显著的福利转移效应，不采取任何关税与货币应对政策将使中国遭受最大的福利损失。因此，基于"打击最大化、自损最小化"原则，中国应对美国采取坚决有力的关税反击，同时保持货币政策相对中性、克制，以期实现"以战促和"的战略目标。     

中间品进口、制度环境与出口产品质量升级

文章基于2000-2013年中国工业企业和海关进出口贸易微观匹配数据,在地区制度环境存在显著差异的背景下研究中间品进口、制度环境与对中国制造业出口产品质量之间的关系。实证研究结果表明：（1）中间品进口通过"竞争效应"、"知识溢出效应"、"中间品质量效应"以及"中间品多元化效应"机制影响企业出口产品质量,但提升效果会因企业所有制、贸易方式、中间品进口来源国、技术复杂度不同而具有显著的异质性;（2）制度环境改善一方面可以直接提升出口产品质量,另一方面强化了中间品进口对出口产品质量的提升效应,中间品进口与制度环境在影响出口产品质量方面存在互补性;（3）文章进一步从动态视角考察了进口持续期对出口产品质量的影响,研究得出二者呈现"U"型关系,短期进口无法提升出口产品质量,持续进口以及适时进入可以显著提升出口产品质量。本研究为中国出口产品国际竞争力提升,改善区域制度环境提供了理论与现实支撑。     

Real effects of common currencies in East Asia

Since the 1997 Asian currency crisis, new interest has emerged in the formation of a common currency area in East Asia. This paper provides estimates of trade and welfare effects of East Asian currency unions, using a micro-founded gravity model. Counter-factual experiments to assess the effects of various hypothetical currency arrangements for East Asia suggest that an East Asian currency union will double bilateral trade in the region, but the resulting welfare effects will be moderate. However, if Japan, a major trade partner for East Asia, is included in the union, welfare effects increase substantially. The evidence thus suggests that certain regional currency arrangements in East Asia will stimulate regional trade rigorously and can generate economically significant welfare gains.     

能源价格冲击对中国贸易结构的传递效应——基于投入产出法的实证研究

本文利用与进出口价格相关联的投入产出模型,计算模拟了国际能源价格冲击对中国贸易结构的传递效应。结果表明,能源价格冲击提高了货物出口和进口比重,使货物、服务出口比例更加不合理。具体而言,对初级产品、其他工业品、机电产品、高新技术产品以及各类服务占货物或服务出口和进口的比重具有同方向的作用效果,出口比重提高,进口比重也提高,而反之亦然。虽然能源价格冲击恶化了出口结构,优化了进口结构,但长期而言弊大于利,对我国贸易结构调整起到一定的阻碍作用。     

外商直接投资、进口贸易与全要素生产率——基于省域制造业的实证研究

本文以2000-2011年的省域制造业面板数据为基础,考察了外商直接投资和进口贸易对全要素生产率的影响。通过对全要素生产率的地区变化的横截面及不同时期的分解对比,本文的实证分析结果发现进口贸易和外商直接投资对全要素生产率的提高均具有正的促进作用,这表明,在不损害国家总体贸易政策的前提下加强进口和引进FDI是一种提高全要素生产率的较好方式。     

论绿色标签的价格效应和环保效果

本文探讨绿色标签的价格效应和环保效果。采用的市场结构为:消费者和生产者各分为两类:一类是环保者,另一类是非环保者。生产者是价格接受者。本文的结论如下:由于绿色标签类似于公共产品的供给,存在外部性,它的环保效果依赖于市场中环保消费者的比例和他们的环保意识。若该比例大且消费者的环保意识强,则环保产品增值大且环保效果好,否则反而刺激非环保产品的需求增加,污染环境。此外,绿色标签不是帕累托改进管理工具,总有一部分人的福利受损;在国际贸易中,和贸易禁止、高环保标准等制度相比,自愿的绿色标签制度能缓和贸易冲突,提高社会福利。     

数字贸易发展的经济效应与推进方略

作为数字化时代的新型贸易模式,数字贸易将对未来的贸易方式、贸易产品、贸易参与者、贸易规则产生深远影响,具有重要的经济学理论价值和现实价值。从微观市场主体、市场效率以及全球贸易发展新动力等角度来看,数字贸易都能衍生出积极的经济效应,有望进一步提高贸易参与者的福利。但也正因为其全新的生产和交换属性,数字贸易的发展面临诸多制约因素,特别是数字贸易国际规则体系还未有效构建,各国数字贸易监管规则和重点也不同。鉴于此,我国需要从国家层面提高数字贸易战略地位,探索形成数字贸易发展新理念,并着力推动在WTO框架下完善数字贸易规则体系,在双边和区域贸易协定中加强数字贸易规则谈判,同时加快完善数字基础设施建设,探索数字贸易背景下新的产品分类体系。