Trade policy and quality leadership in transition economies

Trade policy and quality leadership in transition economies are analyzed in a duopoly model of trade and vertical product differentiation. We first show that the incidence of trade liberalization is sensitive to whether firms in transition economies are producers of low or high quality. Second, we find that neither free trade nor the absence of a domestic subsidy are optimal: Both a tariff and a subsidy increase price competition and while the former extracts foreign rents the latter results in quality upgrading. Third, there exists a rationale for a government to commit to a socially optimal policy to induce quality leadership by the domestic firm when cost asymmetries are low. Finally, we establish an equivalence result between the effects of long-run exchange rate changes and those of trade policy on price competition (but not on social welfare).     

Biofuels and Climate Change Mitigation: A CGE Analysis Incorporating Land-Use Change

We examine the impact of a “green network effect” in a market characterized by consumers’ environmental awareness and competition between firms in terms of both environmental quality and product prices. The unique aspect of this model comes from the assumption that an increase in the number of consumers of green (brown) product increases the satisfaction of each green (brown) consumer. We show that, paradoxically, when the network effect of a green product is higher than that of a brown product, this externality reduces product environmental quality and raises consumption of the green product. Conversely, when the network effect of the brown product is higher, the externality improves product environmental quality and raises consumption of the brown product. In both cases, the network effect does not affect the overall pollution level. The externality correction requires the use of three optimal fiscal policies: an ad valorem tax on products, an emission tax, and a subsidy or a tax on the green purchase. A second-best optimum can also be reached through the green taxation.     

中国通用航空产业补贴效率及最优补贴制度研究—以低空飞行服务业为例

补贴效率是检验补贴制度设计合理性、运行有效性的核心标准。研究发现,我国通用航空飞行服务业补贴制度存在相对供给挤占、暂时性收益陷阱、恶性亏损经营和资金体内循环4类突出的效率损失及福利侵蚀问题,补贴对通航运营企业经营效益提升无显著影响。立足补贴效率受损形式并顺应有效供给和需求严重不足的产业发展矛盾,以社会福利和外部性为核心,从结构重塑、机制优化两个维度出发,全面建立我国通用航空飞行服务业补贴制度并探讨最优补贴边界,最大化补贴效益。首先,以需求二维影响机制为理论支撑,搭建“需求侧保险费率补贴制度+供给端弹性补贴计划”的双侧补贴模式,减缓有效供需规模偏小对企业短期非理性补贴行为的过度激化。其次,从调整补贴标准、丰富补贴层次、规范补贴流程、定位补贴属性4个方面着手深度优化供给侧补贴计划,并以应用事后补贴安排、筹建再保险补贴基金的形式细化需求侧补贴内容,以期最大程度减少补贴效率损耗对预期补贴福利的影响。     

OPTIMAL POLICY FOR PRODUCT R&D WITH ENDOGENOUS QUALITY ORDERING: ASYMMETRIC DUOPOLY*

We examine the optimal R&D subsidy/tax policy under a vertically differentiated duopoly. In a significant departure from the existing work, we consider the case of asymmetric costs of product R&D where there is a small technology gap between firms. In our analysis, the endogeneity of quality ordering is explicitly taken into account. We demonstrate the possible anti‐leapfrogging effect of R&D subsidy/tax policy. By committing to a firm‐specific subsidy schedule contingent on firms’ quality choices, the government can not only correct distortions in product quality but also select the socially preferred equilibrium. The latter role is fulfilled by preventing the technologically inferior firm from becoming a quality leader in the industry. Both Bertrand and Cournot cases are analysed.     

INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THE OPTIMAL POLICY INTERVENTION: THE CASE OF COURNOT‐TYPE COMPETITION UNDER NETWORK EXTERNALITIES*

We derive the optimal subsidy policy for an interconnection agreement between two symmetric Internet service providers (ISPs) competing á la Cournot in a network service market. The interconnection quality agreed upon is lower than the socially optimal level, as suggested by Crémer et al. (2000 ). In the basic model where both ISPs compete in the domestic market, the optimal investment subsidy rate depends positively on the strength of network externalities. In the extended model where home and foreign ISPs compete in the home market, the optimal subsidy rate for the home government is higher than in the basic model.     

激励政策对我国新能源汽车推广应用的影响

新能源汽车在推广过程中,面临着市场失灵问题,不利于新能源汽车产业的长期健康发展,还会导致资源配置效率低下。因此,为了实现资源合理配置,推动新能源汽车产业有序发展,需要政府出台一系列的激励政策。本文从单一政策效果、政策协同效果、中介效应等多角度分析激励政策对新能源汽车推广应用的影响,并深入研究激励政策与新能源汽车推广应用之间的非线性关系。根据实证结果,本文得到以下结论：（1）补贴政策、充电基础设施以及政府购买都能够显著促进新能源汽车推广应用;（2）人口越多、收入水平越高、环境污染越严重的地方,新能源汽车推广应用程度越大;（3）政府购买与新能源汽车推广应用之间存在倒U型关系;（4）企业研发创新能力在激励政策与新能源汽车推广应用之间发挥中介作用;（5）补贴政策的实施效果存在区域性差异,在第一批试点城市,补贴政策的效果不再明显,甚至对新能源汽车推广应用产生了负面影响,而在第二批试点城市中,补贴政策依然能够显著促进新能源汽车推广应用;（6）补贴政策能够显著促进纯电动汽车推广应用,但对插电式混合动力汽车以及燃料电池汽车推广应用表现出负效应。最后,根据研究结果,本文为促进新能源汽车推广应用提供了相关政策建议。     

战略性研发补贴政策稳健吗?-基于中间品贸易的视角

在Stackelberg竞争框架下,本文沿用Spencer and Brander(1983)第三国市场模型,考虑存在中间品贸易情形时,一国的战略性研发政策。研究结果表明,在只有单个国家可以实施研发政策的情况下,若最终产品间的差异程度较大(小),那么该国的最优研发政策为征税(补贴);而当两国政府均可以干预各自国内企业研发时,一国最优的研发政策将随最终产品间的差异程度不同而选择征税、补贴或不干预,并且当最终产品间的差异程度位于一定范围之内时,一国的研发补贴政策并不会招致另一国的报复,因此,战略性研发补贴政策并不如LeahyandNeary(2001)分析的稳健。     

战略性研发补贴政策稳健吗?-基于中间品贸易的视角

在Stackelberg竞争框架下,本文沿用Spencer and Brander(1983)第三国市场模型,考虑存在中间品贸易情形时,一国的战略性研发政策。研究结果表明,在只有单个国家可以实施研发政策的情况下,若最终产品间的差异程度较大(小),那么该国的最优研发政策为征税(补贴);而当两国政府均可以干预各自国内企业研发时,一国最优的研发政策将随最终产品间的差异程度不同而选择征税、补贴或不干预,并且当最终产品间的差异程度位于一定范围之内时,一国的研发补贴政策并不会招致另一国的报复,因此,战略性研发补贴政策并不如Leahyand Neary(2001)分析的稳健。     

政府补贴对中国装备制造业企业创新绩效的影响机制

利用基于倾向得分匹配的倍差法,采用2006-2013年中国沪深股市A股上市公司的数据,系统讨论了政府补贴影响中国装备制造业企业创新绩效的微观机制和效应。进一步采用中介效应模型揭示了政府补贴抑制企业技术效率提升的主要途径。研究结果表明:政府补贴有效促进了装备制造业模仿创新下的技术进步,但显著抑制了资源的最优配置和技术效率改善;政府补贴引发的要素市场扭曲、企业寻租、市场集中和投资过度是导致创新活动技术效率损失的重要途径。因此,政府应通过补贴政策全面提升企业的自主创新能力、保证竞争性市场中资源的有效配置和营造良好的创新支持环境来提高中国装备制造业创新发展的质量和效益。     

政府产品创新补贴下的企业R＆D策略选择

为了研究在政府产品创新补贴政策下企业的R＆D策略选择问题,建立了双寡头市场中面向工艺R＆D的三阶段博弈模型：第一阶段政府以社会福利最大为目标选择产品创新补贴率;第二阶段企业进行R＆D投资以降低生产成本;第三阶段企业在产品市场中进行古诺竞争。根据双寡头在第二和第三阶段是否合作,给出了研发竞争、研发卡特尔、技术共享联盟和研究共同体等四种R＆D策略,得到了相应的政府最优R＆D补贴率。研究表明：从企业的R＆D投入和产品产量的角度看,当溢出效应较高时,研发竞争策略优于研发卡特尔策略;当溢出效应较低时,研发卡特尔策略优于研发竞争策略。研发卡特尔策略与研发竞争策略相比,研发卡特尔更能推动企业利润的提高并且可以改善社会总福利。从产品产量、企业利润和社会总福利最大化角度考虑,研究共同体为四种策略中的最优策略。     

Food for education versus school quality: a comparison of policy options to reduce child labour

Abstract.  In a model in which credit markets play a crucial role, we examine two policy options for reducing child labour, 'food for education' and 'investment in education quality,' With an imperfectly elastic supply of credit, an increase in food subsidy is more effective in reducing child labour than an 'income‐equivalent' increase in expenditures in education quality. The effectiveness of the latter policy improves, and the optimal share of resources devoted to this policy increases, at the expense of food subsidies, as the supply of credit becomes more elastic. JEL classification: H52, O10     

Strategic R&D policy under vertically differentiated oligopoly

In this paper strategic R&D policy is analysed, where a high-tech firm and a low-tech firm compete in a third country with vertically differentiated ( high-quality and low-quality ) products. If the product market is under price competition, the high-tech (low-tech) firm's government has an incentive to tax (subsidize) its domestic firm's product R&D activities. If the product market is under quantity competition, the results are opposite: an R&D subsidy (tax) incentive for the high-tech (low-tech) firm's government; and the high-tech firm's government always gains in the R&D policy game, in contrast to the standard prisoner's dilemma result of the R&D policy literature. JEL Classification: F13     

Optimal Trade Policy under Homogeneous Bertrand Competition*

In a seminal paper, Eaton and Grossman (1986) conclude that an export tax is optimal if firms produce heterogeneous products and engage in Bertrand price competition. In particular, they made a comment that could be interpreted to mean that even in the case of a homogeneous product, the optimal policy is still an export tax. This paper has re‐examined the case and found that the optimal export policy can be an export subsidy, free trade, or an export tax, depending on the marginal cost differential between the domestic and the foreign firms. Moreover, if government intervention entails a cost, free trade becomes the only optimal policy.     

Attracting private investment: Tax reduction,investment subsidy,or both?

This paper uses a real-option model to examine the net benefit to a government from using tax cut and/or investment subsidy as incentives to induce immediate investment. Although earlier papers generally concluded that investment subsidy dominates tax cut, it is observed that many governments use a combination of subsidy and tax cut. We show that, when the government uses a different discount rate from private firms, and when it has to borrow money to provide an investment subsidy, it is possible to get an internal optimum; that is, it might be optimal for the government to provide an investment subsidy as well as charge a positive tax rate on the profits from the project. Thus, we provide an explanation for the puzzling fact that many governments provide an investment subsidy to a firm while simultaneously taxing its profits.     

The optimal treatment of tax expenditures

This paper analyzes the optimal treatment of tax expenditures. It develops an optimal tax model where individuals derive utility from spending on a “contribution” good such as charitable giving. The contribution good has also a public good effect on all individuals in the economy. The government imposes linear taxes on earnings and on the contribution good so as to maximize welfare. The government may also finance directly the contribution good out of tax revenue. Optimal tax and subsidy rates on earnings and the contribution good are expressed in terms of empirically estimable parameters and the redistributive tastes of the government. The optimal subsidy on the contribution good is increasing in the size of the price elasticity of contributions, the size of the crowding out effect of public contributions on private contributions, and the size of the public good effect of the contribution good. Numerical simulations show that the optimal subsidy on contributions is fairly sensitive to the size of these parameters but that, in most cases, it should be lower than the earnings tax rate.     

Informational externalities,strategic delay,and optimal investment subsidies

Abstract This paper examines optimal government policy when private investment generates information, but investors cannot internalize the informational value their actions have to others. Equilibrium exhibits inefficient delay, as investors adopt a wait‐and‐see approach. The government can alter incentives via an investment subsidy, but complications arise, since future subsidies may induce investors to disregard current policy initiatives. The paper shows that the government achieves its desired outcome only when the the investment subsidy is financed by a non‐distortionary, lump‐sum tax. When taxation is distortionary, the government faces a time inconsistency problem that may prevent effective policy.     

Crunch Time: A Policy to Avoid the 'Announcement Effect' when Terminating a Subsidy

Abstract. If the government announces the termination of a subsidy paid for an irreversible investment under uncertainty, investors might decide to realize their investment so as to obtain the subsidy. These investors might have postponed an investment if future payment were assured. Depending on the degree of uncertainty and the time preference, the termination of the subsidy might cost the government more in toto than granting the subsidy on a continuing basis. A better strategy would be to reduce the subsidy in parts rather than to terminate the subsidy in its entirety.     

政府补助对机构投资者与企业创新产出关系的调节效应——来自2007—2019年A股上市公司的经验证据

以我国2007－2019年A股上市公司为对象,实证研究政府补助对机构投资者与企业创新产出关系的调节效应,并深入探讨政府补助这一调节效应在不同区域环境、不同产业环境和不同内部控制环境下的差异性表现。结果发现：机构投资者不仅有助于促进企业创新产出,而且有助于促进具有战略发展意义的突破式创新产出;政府补助对机构投资者与企业创新产出及突破式创新产出间的关系存在显著正向调节效应。进一步研究发现,相较于东部地区、非先进制造业和内部控制质量较低的企业,政府补助在中西部地区、先进制造业和内部控制质量较高的企业中对机构投资者与企业创新产出及突破式创新产出的正向调节效应更显著。研究结论为进一步优化政府补助政策,提升政府补助利用效率,增加企业创新产出具有重要意义。     

Sustainable Forestry: Timber Bequests, Future Generations and Optimal Tax Policy

This paper analyzes harvesting and timber bequest behavior in a two-period overlapping generations model where the government uses site productivity, yield and inheritance taxation. The ceteris paribus effects of forest and inheritance taxes are derived first, then the paper discusses the optimal design of forest and inheritance taxes by assuming that intergenerational externalities are either absent or operative. In the absence of intergenerational externalities, it is optimal to use only the site productivity tax, and not to introduce yield and inheritance taxes at all. In the presence of intergenerational externalities the situation changes. The paper demonstrates that the externality can be internalized by introducing either a yield tax or an inheritance subsidy, or both. If the government is able to use both at the same time, it is desirable to use the yield tax to 'punish' excessive harvesting and an inheritance subsidy to 'bribe' to give bequests.     

政府补助对科技中小型企业成长的影响机理

采用创业板2011—2016年251家科技型中小企业数据,从研发经费投入和技术人员投入两个方面检验技术创新投入在政府补助对企业成长影响的中介作用,以及市场化进程和要素市场发育程度的调节作用。实证研究发现：①研发经费投入在政府补助对企业成长的影响中有中介作用,技术人员投入在政府补助对企业成长的影响中中介作用不明显;②市场化进程越高的地区,政府补助通过研发经费投入对企业成长的影响越强,政府补助通过技术人员投入对企业成长的影响也越强;③要素市场发育程度越好的地区,研发经费投入在政府补助与企业成长间的中介作用越强,技术人员投入在政府补助与企业成长间的中介作用也越强。