The optimal export tax for a primary commodity in a vertical market

The conventional formula for the optimal export tax (derived from a partial equilibrium model that ignores importers’ welfare) is extended to include the deadweight loss to the domestic economy associated with the tax. Applying the extended formula to the tax Russia imposes on its exports of logs, results suggest ignoring the marketing channel causes the optimal export tax for a primary commodity to be understated. The degree of understatement increases as the supply of logs and processing/marketing inputs become less price elastic, and as buyer and seller power in the downstream (lumber) industry increases. For plausible values of model parameters, however, the degree of understatement is modest, less than 19%.     

Optimal export tax rates of cocoa beans: A vector error correction model approach

Aiming to support downstream cocoa processing industries, the Indonesian Government announced an export tax on cocoa beans in 2010. This paper investigates whether the Indonesian Government has imposed an optimal tax rate and examines the determinants of cocoa bean export growth using data from Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia for 1970–2011 and applying a vector error correction model. This study highlights the interdependence of major cocoa exporting countries' policy and reveals that Indonesia currently imposes a tax rate that is above its optimal rate.     

中国罗非鱼出口贸易影响因素分析——基于引力模型的实证研究

中国罗非鱼产业一直依靠国际市场来带动其发展,过分依赖于主要贸易伙伴国（地区）。论文选取2002—2012年中国向15个贸易伙伴国（地区）罗非鱼出口量的面板数据,利用引力模型分析中国罗非鱼出口贸易的影响因素,为改善罗非鱼的出口现状、保障罗非鱼产业的持续稳定发展提供政策建议。研究结果表明：需求方的各项经济因素对罗非鱼出口的影响是较大的,罗非鱼国内生产成本的上升制约了罗非鱼的出口贸易,世贸组织和亚太经合组织对促进罗非鱼出口贸易有一定作用。     

Welfare Effects of an Export Tax: Thailand's Rice Premium

An empirically based, applied general equilibrium model is used to study the welfare and distributional effects of an export tax when the implementing country possesses some monopoly power in the world market. A method is demonstrated through which a general equilibrium model can be used to find the optimal value of a tax or subsidy. The approach makes it possible to conduct the welfare analysis of a particular intervention in an explicit "second-best" context, to study its income distributional implications, and to explore the sensitivity of the results to variations in key behavioral parameters, structural assumptions, and the government's distributional objectives.     

The price of sanctions: An empirical analysis of German export losses due to the Russian agricultural ban

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the vivid political discussion on the consequences of the Russian agricultural import ban on the German export market by quantifying export losses that German agri-food exporters encountered on the Russian market due to the agricultural import ban of 2014. A gravity-type approach is used to measure the sanction effect in a panel of German agri-food exports covering the period from January 1999 to June 2018. The ban effect is disentangled from a sequence of different geopolitically- and economically driven episodes. Once macroeconomic developments of the Russian economy as well as individual stages of decreasing trade cooperation in the preban period are accounted for, the import ban reduced German agri-food exports significantly but was not the major cause. Therefore, a simple elimination of the ban will not be enough to restore trade to the presanctions level.     

Modelling New Zealand dairy products: evidence on export survival and duration

This article presents evidence concerning the pattern of New Zealand dairy exports duration and survival from 1989 to 2017. It also analyses the influence of a set of supply, demand and gravity‐type drivers on the hazard rate for New Zealand dairy export relationships. The findings are summarised as follows. First, New Zealand dairy export relationships are dynamic with numerous entries and exits to and from foreign markets. Around half of the relationships survived for only 1–2 years at the sequence level. Second, duration of sequence, left‐censoring, initial export, decomposed sequences, New Zealand export price index, the number of cows available for dairy production, the number of origins and destinations, and destination partner’s GDP are the most significant factors reducing the hazard rate of export relationships. As regards the effects of the non‐tariff measures, it is interesting that technical barriers of trade are found to significantly decrease the hazard rate. Only pre‐shipment inspection and contingent trade protective measures are significant impediments to New Zealand dairy export relationships. Finally, hazard probabilities for New Zealand dairy export relationships are estimated to be ‘L‐shaped’ over time, whether or not non‐tariff measures are applied to New Zealand dairy products.     

Labour-saving technologies in smallholder agriculture: An economy-wide model with field operations

Labour-saving technologies are relevant for agricultural development. Yet, as this study shows, they are poorly integrated into agricultural production functions of economy-wide models. We report a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, which explicitly incorporating field operations (e.g. land preparation, weeding or harvesting) in the context of smallholder agriculture. The field operations approach allows to model technological trade-offs in organic and conventional production systems at various stages of the agricultural production process. Simulating a structural change scenario, we compare the performance of the field operations approach with published benchmark production structures by assessing how they replicate empirically observed changes in land and agrochemical use. This benchmark analysis shows that incorporating field operations replicates the observed empirical changes most accurately and allows for more realistic modelling of labour-saving technologies. We use the field operations model to investigate three policy options to mitigate labour shortages in the agricultural sector of Bhutan. Permitting the employment of Indian workers in agriculture has the highest short-term potential in this respect. We find that subsidising agricultural machinery hiring services and removing import tariffs on agrochemical inputs are found to be less effective. Further options for model developments, such as combining field operations and labour market seasonality, are highlighted.     

Dynamics of smallholder participation in horticultural export chains: evidence from Ecuador

We study the dynamics of smallholder participation in export value chains focusing on the example of small‐scale broccoli producers in the highlands of Ecuador. Combining cross‐sectional data from a household survey with 11‐year longitudinal data on export market transactions, we explain the hazards of dropping out of a high‐value export chain. We apply a multispell cox duration model that allows us to consider multiple entries and exits from the supply chain. We also provide evidence on the welfare impacts associated with participation. The results suggest that small‐scale farmers’ exit from the export sector is accelerated by high transaction risks experienced in the past. While we find no particular evidence for the exclusion of small‐scale farmers from the export sector, we do find that poorer households and female‐headed households tend to drop out faster, especially as long as the sector is still prospering. Finally, when considering welfare effects, we do not find evidence that participation translates into tangible benefits for broccoli farmers. We discuss some measures that could help improve the long‐term sustainability of smallholder integration in high‐value chains.     

中国胶合板出口市场结构风险测算

基于2004~2014年的数据,选取出口市场集中度指数、出口市场匹配性指数、出口多样性指数、出口均匀度指数、收益结构变动指数以及劳伦斯指数,构建中国胶合板出口市场结构评价体系,利用功效系数法和主成分分析法测算综合功效系数。结果显示:中国胶合板出口市场结构风险较大,其中2008~2013年风险增大趋势明显,2014年出口市场结构风险有所降低,鉴于此从资源、产品、市场和贸易预警机制角度为降低出口市场结构风险提出合理建议。     

The impact of transport-and transaction-cost reductions on food markets in developing countries: evidence for tempered expectations for Burkina Faso

Reductions in transport and transaction costs are expected to have a major effect on the functioning of food markets in developing countries. For Burkina Faso, this is a relevant issue as it may have important consequences for the food markets in urban and rural deficit areas. A partial equilibrium model is presented to analyze the short-term effects of reduced costs on price formation, inter-regional cereal trade, and farmers' and traders' storage strategies. Our results show that the high expectations with regard to the direct effects of cost reductions on food prices and food availability require some nuance. The effects of a reduction of transport costs will be small. Moreover, also the unintended negative consequences on the competitive position of farmers and traders in other regions that do not profit from road construction should be taken into account. Finally, it is concluded that only if transport and transaction costs are reduced simultaneously, will both the consumers and farmers benefit significantly.     

Self-Sufficiency Versus Free Trade: The Case of Rice in Iran

The dilemma of free trade and self-sufficiency for the case of rice in Iran justifies continuous governmental intervention in this market. Among all policy instruments, import tariffs have been extensively used to achieve self-sufficiency; however, the results of this policy are quite controversial and remain as a main question for researchers and policymakers. Hence, this article examines the economic impacts of increasing import tariff policy applying a multimarket spatial price equilibrium model. The results suggest that pursuing the goal of self- sufficiency by restricting rice import would be detrimental. Social welfare as well as real and per capita income are adversely affected by increasing import tariffs both in nationwide and regional scale except for 1 region, which is characterized as the largest net exporter region in Iran. Also results show that adopting free trade policies and improving rice yield may be the well-advised strategy in the case of rice in Iran.     

Implications of biotech traits with segregation costs and market segments: the case of Roundup Ready(R) Wheat

Roundup Ready^® Wheat (RRW) is one of the first geneticallymodified (GM) traits for the wheat sector. We develop a spatialpartial equilibrium model of the higher-protein hard wheat marketand assess the changes in the distribution of welfare associatedwith release and adoption of RRW. It incorporates segments forGM aversion in each market and segregation costs for each segment.In the most likely scenario, producer and consumer welfare increasesby $301 and $252 million, respectively. Producers of hard redspring wheat in the US and Canada gain. There are welfare lossesto hard red winter wheat growers in the US and to EU consumerswho have to import at a higher cost.     

The effects of food sales taxes on household food spending: An application of a censored cluster model

This study proposes a model of household food spending that accounts for zero censoring and can be applied to data collected through a clustered survey design to investigate the impact of food sales taxes on three groups: households who are eligible for and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), households who are eligible but do not participate in the program, and households who are not eligible for the program. We find that SNAP participating households are largely insensitive to grocery taxes and respond to restaurant taxes by shifting more of their food dollars towards at-home foods. Among households who are eligible for SNAP but do not participate in the program, grocery taxes reduce spending on foods purchased for at-home consumption, and thereby increase the amount of the total food budget allocated to away from home foods. This is concerning from a nutrition and health standpoint since away from home foods tend to be more calorie dense and nutritionally poorer than at home foods.     

A Conjoint/Logit Analysis of Consumers’ Responses to Genetically Modified Tofu in Taiwan

We use data collected from a consumer survey of face‐to‐face interviews to determine consumer demand for genetically modified (GM) tofu attributes in Taiwan. Conjoint analysis using logit models reveals that, on average, brand is the most important attribute in terms of influence on consumers’ preferences, followed by price, with GM content having the least influence. However, the analysis also reveals three distinct market segments for tofu. Apart from the largest segment (which reflects the average lack of concern about GM food), the remaining two segments are split according to their preference or antipathy towards GM tofu. This result suggests that GM labelling is helpful to Taiwanese tofu consumers.     

Assessing the Potential Impact of Avian Influenza on Poultry in West Africa: A Spatial Equilibrium Analysis

We analyse the potential economic impacts of avian influenza (AI) in Nigeria, using a spatial equilibrium simulation model. Depending on the size of the affected areas, the direct impact of the spread of AI along the two major migratory bird flyways would be a loss of about 4% of national chicken production. However, the indirect effect – consumers’ reluctance to consume poultry if AI is detected, causing a decline in chicken prices – is generally larger than the direct effect in our simulation. We estimate that Nigerian chicken production would fall by 21% and chicken farmers would lose US$250 million of revenue if the worst‐case scenario occurs. The negative impact would be unevenly distributed in the country, and some states and districts would be seriously affected. The study shows that, while most attention has focused on preventing a global influenza pandemic, preventive measures are also needed at the national, regional and local levels, because AI could potentially have a major negative impact on the poultry industry and the livelihood of smallholder farmers in many regions in West Africa.     

区域农村劳动力市场发育对农地流转的影响——以江苏省宝应县为例

研究目的:揭示农村劳动力市场发育对于农地流转的影响程度。研究方法:实证分析法。研究结果:农地流转率与家庭非农就业率正相关,农户家庭非农就业率提高1%,农村土地流转率将提高16.26%。研究结论:依据农村劳动力市场发育与农地流转的内在关系,通过加快户籍制度改革以及非农就业农民社会保障制度的建设,进一步促进农地流转,促进农地规模经营,积极推进新农村建设和现代农业发展。     

The effects of housing preference for an apartment on residential location choice in Seoul: A random bidding land use simulation approach

This study evaluates the impact of medium- and high-income households’ preference for apartments on residential location choice by constructing a random utility-based land use simulation model of the Seoul metropolitan area. The simulation results imply that apartment preference of medium- and high-income groups would have contributed to providing more apartment units (about 14.2% of total apartment units supplied), more housing units in the suburbs (61,000 more housing units in the suburbs), and higher apartment rent premiums in wealthy communities than the assumed housing market under the counterfactual scenario in terms of housing type, location, and rents.     

A Structural Econometric Model of Joint Consumption of Goods and Recreational Time: An Application to Pick-Your-Own Fruit

This article develops a structural econometric consumer demand model for goods, which have time and monetary costs, and where time spent obtaining the goods also enters into the utility function. The model is used to analyze customers' decision to buy pick-your-own versus preharvested strawberries at North Carolina pick-your-own fruit operations. The analysis distinguishes the effect of time as a resource constraint and time that provides utility. Demand for strawberries sold at the operations is price elastic, and demand for pick-your-own strawberries is less price elastic than demand for preharvested strawberries.     

基于SEM的公众洪灾风险认知水平评估——以景德镇市为例

客观、准确评估公众洪灾风险认知水平将有助于提高公众参与积极性。基于保护动机理论框架,从灾前准备意识、灾中应对意识以及灾后恢复意识三方面构建评估体系,以景德镇市为例,建立公众洪灾风险认知的结构方程模型,基于路径系数评估了洪灾风险认知水平。结果表明:洪灾风险认知受灾前准备意识和灾中应对意识的直接影响,灾后恢复意识则产生间接影响,灾前准备意识对洪灾风险认知的影响程度最高;评估指标贡献率上,住宅内部损失经历的贡献率最高,应急物资准备意愿、防洪演练参与意愿的贡献率均超过4%;洪灾风险认知评估结果上,女性的风险认知水平高于男性;青年、老年人群风险认知水平较低。