Clothes without an Emperor: Analysis of the preferential tariffs in ASEAN

This paper examines the current state of intra-ASEAN trade under the preferential regime of the AFTA. It partly addresses some data problems and employs a gravity model to arrive at alternative ways of gauging the importance of preferences in the absence of data on the actual utilisation of AFTA preferential tariffs. Our results show that although the range of products where AFTA might have an influence is limited, preferences seem to matter when the differential margin between the MFN and preferential tariff rates reaches a critical amount, allowing regional exporters to cover the costs of requesting preferences. However, at very high differential margins, the significance of AFTA preferences seems to wane. This indicates either the presence of non-tariff measures which prevent traders from exploiting the huge tariff discounts offered by the AFTA, and or, the propensity of ASEAN to extend high preferences on products where little or no intra-ASEAN trade takes place.     

Measuring third world security expenditure: A research note

There is growing evidence that important amounts of security expenditure may not enter the budgets or the national accounts of many developing countries. This article outlines five of the most common mechanisms used by governments to obscure their security-related outlays: double bookkeeping, use of extra-budgetary accounts, highly aggregated budget categories, military assistance and governmental manipulation of foreign exchange. Delineating those countries which have used these — or other — mechanisms is difficult but some examples do exist and are used here to illustrate how countries have hidden security-related expenditure from public scrutiny.     

Export quotas versus export tariffs in the presence of domestic monopoly

The purpose of this paper is to show that export quotas and export tariffs are different in their economic effects when there is domestic monopoly. In the presence of domestic monopoly, an export quota may not reduce the domestic price of the exportable good, whereas an export tariff will always reduce it. This is true whether the country concerned is a small country or a large country.     

终于降了：中国奢侈品关税

6月15日,商务部新闻发言人姚坚表示,中国将进一步下调进口关税,包括部分中高档商品的关税。这是继今年3月下旬和4月,商务部发言人第三次宣布将下调针对奢侈品的关税,显示出国家有关部门对于奢侈品消费和关税外流堵漏的决心。     

On the comparison of tariffs and quotas in oligopolistic intermediate goods markets

This paper examines and compares the effects of tariffs and quotas imposed on oligopolistic intermediate input markets. We introduce tariff and quota revenues and the substitutability of all inputs including two intermediate inputs. We focus on Cournot–Nash equilibrium and show that if the price elasticity of demand for the final good is smaller (respectively greater) than the elasticity of substitution between the intermediate inputs, the output of the duopolist in the protected country is smaller (respectively greater) under a quota than under a tariff.     

Free trade zones,tariffs and the real exchange rate

This article examines the consequences of changes in final and intermediate good tariffs on structural adjustment, urban unemployment, and the real exchange rate in the presence of a free trade zone (FTZ) and foreign capital in the host country. The location of the FTZ and the disaggregation of the economy allows us to examine the consequences of a tariff change on regional incomes. It is shown that as a consequence of a tariff change the urban and rural incomes need not necessarily move in the same direction (hence the potential for rural and urban conflict in policy making). It is also shown that an increase in the tariff on an immediate good may result in both export promotion and an increase in welfare. Such expansion is a nonconventional result, since raising barriers to trade normally leads to a contradiction in the volume of the trade. The interconnection between the real exchange rate and intermediate good tariff is also explored in this article. It is shown that a policy of imposing tariffs on these goods may result in the appreciation of the real exchange rate.     

The impact of tariffs on profits in the United States and other major trading countries

Zusammenfassung Die Auswirkungen von Z?llen auf die Gewinne der Unternehmen in den Vereinigten Staaten und anderen gr?▾eren Handelsl?ndern. - In diesem Aufsatz wird das Michigan-Modell benutzt, um die Auswirkungen der Protektion auf die gesamten Gewinne und die Stückgewinne in den USA und anderen wichtigen Handelsnationen zu untersuchen. Es ergibt sich, da▾ die Protektion die Gewinne in den Exportsektoren st?rker verringert, als sie die Gewinne derjenigen Sektoren verbessert, die mit Importen konkurrieren. Allerdings bleiben die Gesamtgewinne aus der Kombination von exportorientierten und importsubstituierenden Unternehmen im allgemeinen von den bestehenden Z?llen unbeeinflu▾t. Au▾erdem finden die Gewinntransfers zwischen Exporteuren und importsubstituieren-den Unternehmen meistens innerhalb der gleichen Branche und nicht zwischen verschiedenen Branchen statt. Deshalb erh?hen allgemeine tarif?re Ma▾nahmen kaum die Gewinne von US-Industrien. Nur Tarife, die auf bestimmte Produktgruppen gerichtet sind, k?nnten derartige Wirkungen haben.

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Résumé L’effet des droits de douane sur les profits dans les Etats Unis et des autres pays principaux commer?ants. - Dans cet article le modèle Michigan de production mondiale et de commerce est appliqué pour analyser l’effet de la protection sur les profits totaux et par unité dans les Etats Unis et des autres pays principaux commer?ants. Les auteurs trouvent que la protection réduit les profits dans les secteurs exportatrices plus qu’elle stimule les profits dans les secteurs en concurrence avec les importations. Cependant, les profits totaux des entreprises exportatrices et en concurrence avec les importations ensemble ne sont pas affectés par des droits de douane existants. De plus, la majorité des transferts des profits entre les entreprises exportatrices et en concurrence avec les importations se passe dans la même industrie au lieu d’entre des industries. C’est pourquoi, il est conclu que des mesures générales tarifaires probablement n’augmentent pas les profits des industries des E.U. Ce ne sont que les droits de douane sur des groupes des biens spécifiques qui exercent un tel effet.

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Resumen El impacto de los aranceles sobre los beneficios en los Estados Unidos y otros países de importancia en el comercio international. - En este trabajo se utiliza el modelo de productión y comercio mundiales de Michigan para analizar el impacto de la protectión arancelaria sobre los beneficios totales y por unidad en los Estados Unidos y otros países de importancia en el comercio international. Los resultados indican que la protectión disminuye los beneficios en los sectores de exportatión y estimula los beneficios en las industrias que compiten con las importaciones, superando el primer efecto al segundo. Los beneficios totales de las empresas de exportatión y sustitución de importaciones juntas, empero, generalmente no son afectados por los aranceles existentes. Además, la mayor parte de la transferencia de beneficios entre exportadores y empresas de sustitución de importaciones tiene lugar dentro de la misma industria y no entre industrias diferentes. Por ello, medidas arancelarias de tipo general no son susceptibles de mejorar los beneficios de las industrias de los EE UU. Solamente aranceles que afecten a determinados grupos de productos podrían tener ese efecto.

     

吕建明：张弛在天地之间

葡葡酒与高楼大厦，风马牛不相及。然而，这些都是吕建明的最爱。 在一个落霞飞渡的黄昏，舒缓的音乐声中，手握一杯紫色的波尔多红酒，静静与时光对语……此时，是他一天中心境最惬意的时刻     

The theory of preferential trading arrangements

Zusammenfassung Die Theorie der Pr?ferenzabkommen. - Hier wird ein überblick über die Theorie der geographisch diskriminierenden Handelspolitik gegeben. Der rote Faden ist, da\ es im Laufe der sechziger Jahre auf diesem Gebiet der Au\enhandelstheorie zu einem Stillstand kam, weil die grundlegende These, Pr?ferenzzollsenkungen müssen einseitigen nicht-diskrimierenden Zollsenkungen unterlegen sein, mit dem rapiden Anstieg der Pr?ferenzhandelsabkommen unvereinbar zu sein schien. Es werden Versuche zu einer Aufl?sung dieses Stillstands er?rtert, wobei das Schwergewicht auf die Notwendigkeit gelegt wird, in die Analyse wieder internationale Verteilungswirkungen einzubeziehen.

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Résumé La théorie des accords commerciaux préférentiels. - L’auteur présente un aper?u sur la théorie des politiques commerciales géographiquement discriminatoires. Le sujet unifiant est que pendant les années soixante cette approche théorique s’arrêtait parce que la proposition centrale (c.-à.-d. réductions tarifaires préférentielles doivent être inférieures aux réductions unilatérales non-discriminatoires) semblait être inconsistante avec la prolifération des accords commerciaux préférentiels. L’auteur discute des approches pour résoudre cette difficulté en soulignant la nécessité de réintroduire des effets de distribution internationale dans l’analyse.

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Resumen La teoría del comercio preferencial. - Se présenta la teoría del comercio discriminatorio según regiones geográficas. La necesidad de tratar este tema deriva del hecho de que durante la década del sesenta perdió fuerza la propositión central de esta teoría (reducciones arancelarias preferenciales son inferiores a reducciones arancelarias unilaterales y no discriminatorias) al ser inconsistente con la proliferatión de acuerdos sobre comercio preferencial observada. Se presentan varios intentas de resolver esta dificultad, poniendo énfasis en la necesidad de reintroducir efectos distributives internacionales en el análisis.

     

A note on tariffs,quotas and the Metzler Paradox: An alternative approach

Conclusions Under the given assumptions, the introduction of an import quota always results in a price increase of the scarce factor. This conclusion confirms that of Falvey [1975] that the Metzler Paradox cannot occur with import quotas. Moreover, we have shown this to be true regardless of the new terms of trade. The introduction of an import quota will, in general, lead to a lower welfare level. This holds for non-prohibitive protection in those situations in which the terms of trade either remain unchanged or worsen. If the terms of trade improve, a higher welfare level can be attained depending on the degree of the improvement and on the size of the quota. The development of the terms of trade can be used as an indication of the price increase of the scarce factor. The more favourable the new terms of trade for the trade restricting country, the greater the advantage accruing to the scarce factor. The effectiveness of the protective measures for distributional purposes coincides thus with the development of the terms of trade.     

新冠肺炎疫情下的世界各国

【意大利】3月8日,意大利宣布自即日起至4月3日对北部伦巴第大区和另外14个省采取封闭措施,以遏制新冠肺炎疫情蔓延。但在公共场合,很多民众并没有戴口罩的习惯。图为3月8日的米兰中央火车站。     

Traditional fuel usage and the rural poor in Bangladesh

Food and fuel production in the rural environment of developing countries are linked to income, and both are fundamental to welfare. It is difficult to measure the condition of the overall traditional fuel resource, but in Bangladesh the usage of village trees can be used as an indicator. Traditional fuel consumption per capita in the country seems to be more or less what would be expected for a country of this type, but it also seems that, at these levels of usage, serious shortages must soon appear. Because of the existing socio-economic structure of the rural population, the poor, landless stratum will be disproportionately affected by such shortages. Within the political and implementation constraints that exist, certain steps can be taken to offset the fuel shortage. These might at least include the rural poor, if not distributing all benefits directly to them.     

高新技术企业科技税收优惠政策的研究

近年来,国家不断地强调科技创新的重要性,也一再地加强对科技型企业的扶持力度,特别是在税收方面给予了科技型企业高度的税收优惠,鼓励科技型创新企业的发展。虽然政府给予科技型创新企业的税收优惠不断加大,但是企业却未能真正享受到税收优惠。一味地扩大税收优惠力度显然是不足的,解决当前税收体系中存在的问题成了重中之重。文章通过研究我国的科技型企业税收优惠体系,发现我国科技税收主要存在着体系不完善、缺乏对科技型企业风险投资的鼓励和RD费用难以归集等问题,并针对以上问题给出了相应的解决对策。     

对外开放:与世界"激情共舞"

1997年6月18日,重庆成为中国第四个直辖市. 直辖市地位对一个城市的诱惑力可以从这些数字中反映出来:截止2006年,重庆全市利用外资26.5亿美元,外贸进出口总额72.9亿美元,分别为直辖前5年的1.2倍和1.5倍;世界500强企业已有28家在渝落户,重庆与140个国家和地区建立了经济贸易合作关系……直辖为重庆的对外开放注入了生机与活力.