Determinants of the 1991–1993 Japanese recession: Evidence from a structural model of the Japanese economy

The objectives of this paper are to determine the extent to which various factors contributed to the most recent recession in Japan and to assess whether the recent behavior of the Japanese economy differs from that in previous recessions. Toward that end, we develop a small, structural macroeconometric model of the Japanese economy and estimate it using data from 1971 Q1 to 1991 Q1, the period just prior to the recent downturn. The important results can be summarized as follows. First, the severity of the recent recession probably does not reflect structural economic changes. Second, the poor economic performance in 1991–1993 period was to some extent predictable, reflecting the unwinding of imbalances that developed during the preceding expansion. Finally, unpredictable movements in exchange rates, land prices, and stock prices occurring after 1991 played an important, but not predominant, part in accentuating the downturn, while unusually stimulative fiscal and monetary policies appear to have contributed substantially to GDP during the recession.     

引力模型下的新旧城区空间相互作用研究——以南京为例

引力模型是衡量两地间空间相互作用力的常用模型.文章首先选取多个衡量地域质量的指标,对两地综合质量进行了评估.用两地间多种运输方式的权重、时速、货币成本等因素来取代传统惯用的空间距离,构建了新的引力模型表达式.文章以南京市为例,用新的表达式测算了新旧城区的空间相互作用力,分析了新旧城区间相互作用的程度,并指出了对新旧城区空间相互作用研究中进一步的研究方向.     

New Borders and Trade Flows: A Gravity Model Analysis of the Baltic States

The objective of this paper is to provide evidence on the effects of an economic and political union by studying the trade flows of the three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania after the breakup of the Soviet Union. We specify and estimate a gravity model of exports for the Nordic countries which enables us to determine the size and direction of trade flows in the Baltic states had they not been affected by the political institutions of the Soviet Union. Our results suggest that Baltic foreign trade was not only reduced significantly but also diverted to the members of the former Soviet Union. Consistent with our estimates, we also find that these consequences of the former political union are quickly dissipating, and the Baltic countries are increasing their share of exports to the European Union and the U.S.     

Microenvironment-specific effects in the application credit scoring model

This paper introduces the improved version of a credit scoring model which assesses credit worthiness of applicants for a loan. The scorecard has a two-level multilevel structure which nests applicants for a loan within microenvironments. In addition, the paper proposes a new type of clustering for a hierarchical two-level structure which is more intuitive and efficient in the application to credit scoring. This structure explores living area-specific effects which are viewed as unobserved determinants of default. The primary benefit of the multilevel scorecard compared to a conventional scoring model is higher accuracy of the model predictions.     

Shifting International Competitiveness: An Analysis of Market Share in Manufacturing Industries in Japan,Korea, Taiwan and the USA*

In the present study we conduct constant market share analysis of the imports and apparent consumption of the manufacturing industries of four major economies‐Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the USA. Additionally, the current study disaggregates import penetration in manufacturing, including sectors with relatively high technological requirements. Statistical tests of the significance of changes in import penetration in manufacturing industries are also conducted. The real growth of exports and apparent consumption in the two largest OECD markets is decomposed into: (i) the commodity composition effect; and (ii) the competitiveness effect. Finally, we examine the significance of trade policy for changes in import penetration in Japan and the USA.     

Determinants of Different Modes of FDI: Firm-Level Evidence from Japanese FDI into the US

There are four major modes through which firms undertake foreign direct investment (FDI) – merger and acquisition (M&A), joint venture (JV), new plant (NP) and others (O). The four modes of FDI are distinct from each other, and each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. While a large and growing empirical literature examines the determinants of FDI, very few studies examine the determinants of different modes of FDI. The central objective of this paper is to empirically analyze the extent to which the determinants of FDI such as firm size influences the choice of one mode of FDI over another. Our analysis follows a stylized two-stage investment process. First, we look at the probability of whether a Japanese firm is willing to undertake FDI in the US. Second, for firms that are willing to undertake FDI, we analyze which mode of FDI - i.e. M&A, joint venture, new plant or other FDI – they will undertake. The second stage is the innovation of this paper and its contribution to the FDI literature.     

A general equilibrium model of Value Added Tax evasion: an application to Pakistan

International Economics and Economic Policy - Value Added Taxes (VAT) constitute a major share of tax revenues in developing countries in which tax evasion is widespread. The literature on VAT...     

关于旅游目的地环境容量约束的探讨:量化和模型分析

旅游目的地环境容量对旅游者的旅游活动和旅游产品的消费具有约束作用。本文环境容量约束加以量化,并引入到旅游产品消费的经济模型分析中,对如何在与旅游产品消费经济模型相关的研究领域中引入环境容量,以弥补因忽视环境容量约束而带来的不足之处进行了初步探索。此外,本文对如何解决环境容量约束对旅游产品消费的制约作用也做了简要的分析。     

Exploring the Intensive and Extensive Margins of World Trade

World trade evolves at two margins. Where a bilateral trading relationship already exists it may increase through time (intensive margin). But trade may also increase if a trading bilateral relationship is newly established between countries that have not traded with each other in the past (extensive margin). We provide an empirical dissection of post–World War II growth in manufacturing world trade along these two margins. We propose a “corner-solutions version” of the gravity model to explain movements on both margins. A Tobit estimation of this model resolves the so-called “distance puzzle”. It also finds more convincing evidence than recent literature that WTO-membership enhances trade. JEL no. F12, F15     

中国股市投机泡沫的膨胀与破灭:机制转换模型的应用

本文运用机制转换模型研究收益率与换手率的非线性关系,以此描述中国股票市场投机泡沫的膨胀及部分破灭的演进过程。结果证明中国股票市场存在膨胀中会部分破灭的投机泡沫。市场大幅下跌概率的样本内、样本外估计值能较好预测历史数据中出现的最大实际损失,说明机制转换模型具有良好的预测能力;投机泡沫的部分破灭是导致中国股票市场价格大幅下跌的主要原因。     

Think tanks in the USA: Science as an instrument of public policy

The article discusses the organization of the US system of scientific and research institutions. Current and historical aspects of the formation of “think tanks” as a phenomenon of scientific and sociopolitical life are considered, as well as the classification of think tanks and their role in scientific research and in providing independent expert opinion during the development of public policy.     

Economic and Geographical Distance: Explaining Mercosur Sectoral Exports to the EU

The objective of this paper is to apply a modified gravity model to annual exports disaggregated by sector, from MERCOSUR + Chile to the 15 current members of the EU. In doing so, we aimed to classify sectors according to their sensitivity to geographical and economic distance and to identify which commodities enjoy export strength even without further progress in trade liberalisation with the EU. In the estimation we made use of two additional explanatory variables which are found to be relevant when explaining trade, namely, infrastructure and exchange rates. An exchange rate index is built that takes into account protection. Our results support the view that different sectors have a different sensitivity to distance and highlight the importance of using disaggregated data when analysing international trade flows.     

Japanese aggregate import demand function: reassessment from the ‘bounds’ testing approach

This paper aims to ascertain the long-run relationship of Japanese aggregate import demand function over the period 1973–1997. The cointegration test used, bounds test procedure [J. Appl. Econ. 16 (2001) 289] is a recent test that based on the estimation of an unrestricted error-correction model (UECM). In contrary with previous studies [J. Policy Model. 16 (1994) 291; Jpn. World Econ. 13 (2001) 135], the bounds test confirms a long-run equilibrium relationship between quantity of imports, and its determinants namely real income and relative prices term. The estimated long-run income and price elasticities are 0.99 and −0.82, respectively.     

Liberalization of EU telecommunications and trade: theory, gravity equation analysis and policy implications

The liberalization of telecommunications has contributed to considerable price reductions in international telephony and to rising volumes of telecommunications. This raises the issue of the economic impact of international telephony. Falling international information and transaction costs should stimulate competition and enlarge the market radius for producers in the tradables sector—this lets us to expect trade creation effects of international telecommunications; this in turn should raise output provided that more intensive international telecommunications stimulates international diffusion of knowledge or brings about trade-related specialization gains. Based on a modified gravity equation which is taking into account the role of international telecommunication volumes—based on new ITU data—we show that international telephony has a significant positive impact on trade volume: A rise of the international telecommunications volume by 10% raises trade by 2% in Europe. At the same time the coefficients of the traditional variables, GDP in the exporting and the importing country, are smaller than in traditional approaches. Thus from a policy perspective the modernization and growth of the international telecommunications network—within a system of enhanced competition—is crucial for Europe: economic integration will be reinforced. From this perspective the Lisbon Agenda is right to emphasize the importance of creating a digitally networked knowledge society.

China and the Exports of Other Asian Countries

We analyze the impact of China’s growth on the exports of other Asian countries, distinguishing China’s demand for imports from its penetration of export markets. We account for the endogeneity of Chinese exports by applying instrumental variables in a gravity model with country-pair fixed-effects. We find that China’s crowding-out effect is felt mainly in markets for consumer goods and hence by less-developed Asian countries, not in markets for capital goods or by the more advanced Asian economies. Meanwhile, China has been sucking in imports from its Asian neighbors, but this effect is mainly felt in markets for capital goods. Hence, more and less developed Asian countries are being affected very differently by China’s rise. JEL no. E5, F4     

The Rise of China: Prospects of Regional Trade Policy

China now engages in multilateral trade liberalization as a new member of the WTO. Concurrently, the number of regional trade agreements is increasing worldwide. China and its trading partners would benefit from increased regional liberalization. Using a gravity equation for 23 Asia-Pacific countries between 1992 and 2000, we show that ASEAN and APEC currently have small effects on Asia-Pacific exports, which are mainly influenced by growth, trade barriers, and common language. However, we find that China’s participation in regional agreements has large export potentials, not only with respect to ASEAN, but also in a broad agreement including South and East Asian countries. JEL no. F15, F17     

区域贸易安排的保护性:引力模型

通过2000-2005年EU、APEC、NAFTA三个区域贸易组织双边贸易流量基于合并数据的引力模型得出结论:三个区域贸易组织的净贸易效果均为贸易转移,但区域保护程度顺次减弱。总体上,发生贸易转移的方向从以发达国家为主的区域贸易组织转移到以新兴市场国家为主或由发达国家与发展中国家共同组成的区域贸易组织。因而,对内积极推行自由贸易,对外具有很强的贸易保护倾向是各国推行区域贸易政策的显著特征。     

Determinants of animal traction adoption in traditional agriculture: An application of the multivariate probit procedure to the case of Lesotho

This study identifies the socio-economic factors responsible for the adoption of animal traction in the Maseru district, Lesotho. Data for the study were obtained from a cross-section of farmers, using a two-stage random sampling technique to purposively select both adopters and nonadopters of animal traction technology. The probit model was employed to analyse the data, using the maximum likelihood estimation technique to identify quantifiably the effects of selected variables on animal traction adoption in the study area. The results of the study indicate that the adoption of animal traction in the area of study is equally sensitive to both sociological and economic factors, the most significant being the number of work animals and farm income, respectively. It is specifically recommended, among other things, that efforts be made to advance credit to poor farmers as a motivation towards increased animal traction adoption. This would increase farm output and income in the study area in particular, and in other areas with similar agro-ecological and institutional conditions that might be contemplating introducing this particular technology.     

Economic openness and trade linkages of China: An empirical study of the determinants of chinese trade intensities from 1993 to 1999

In the 1980s, the Chinese regime took a number of piecemeal steps toward economic liberalization. This process accelerated impressively in the 1990s. This paper reports an empirical study into the determinants of the emerging pattern of Chinese trade (export and import) intensities in the liberalization decade by exploring international trade statistics for 1993 and 1999. Four models are estimated that explain the shifts in the export and import intensities of the trade with different trade partners in the 1993–1999 period. The estimation results reveal differences for export vis-à-vis import trade intentities, as well as for 1993 compared to 1999. For example, the political determinants of trade intensities that were still very important in 1993 have been moved to the background by economic explanations in 1999. JEL no. F14     

企业的可持续发展—可持续增长率模型的应用

相对于企业的增长缓慢,企业的主管往往并不会为企业的发展过快而担忧,他们甚至认为发展得越快越好。但是接踵而来的事情往往让他们措手不及,甚至处于濒临破产的境地。本文引入可持续增长率模型,说明其中原委,并简要阐述了企业应对市场的大好发展契机的几项具体措施。