Should direct or total factor intensities be used in tests of the factor proportions hypothesis?

Zusammenfassung Sollten direkte oder totale Faktorintensit?ten beim Test der Faktorproportionenhypothese verwendet werden? — Dieser Aufsatz befa\t sich mit der Faktorproportionenhypothese und den Faktorintensit?ten, mit denen die Hypothese getestet werden kann. Wenn alle Güter einschlie\lich der Zwischenprodukte handelbar sind und wenn es keine Spezialisierung in der Produktion gibt, dann sind die direkten Faktorintensit?ten ma\gebend, wenn die Allokation der Bruttoproduktion zwischen den L?ndern erkl?rt werden soll. Demgegenüber sind die totalen Faktorintensit?ten für die Erkl?rung der Nettohandelsstr?me relevant. Wenn es nichthandelbare Güter gibt, dann sollten die Faktorintensit?ten der handelbaren Güter so modifiziert werden, da\ sie den direkten Faktorinput aller nichthandelbaren Güter einschlie\en, die bei der Produktion von handelbaren Gütern verbraucht werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen sich in strenger Form, wenn die Anzahl der handelbaren Güter und der Faktoren gleich ist. übersteigt die Anzahl der handelbaren Güter die der Faktoren, dann besteht eine Tendenz zur Spezialisierung in der Produktion. Liegt dieser Fall der Spezialisierung vor, werden zudem alle Güter gehandelt und existieren keine nichthandelbaren Güter, besteht immer noch die Beziehung zwischen den direkten Faktorintensit?ten und der Allokation der Bruttoproduktion, w?hrend die totalen Faktorintensit?ten mit den Handelsstr?men nicht mehr so deutlich zusammenh?ngen.

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Résumé Doit-on appliquer les intensités des facteurs directes ou totales pour tester l’hypothèse des proportions des facteurs? — Cet article s’occupe de l’hypothèse des proportions des facteurs et des intensités des facteurs avec lesquelles on peut la tester. Si tous les biens, les inputs intermédiaires inclus, sont commerces et s’il n’y a pas une spécialisation dans la production, les intensités des facteurs directes sont importantes pour expliquer l’allocation de la production brute parmi des pays; pendant que les intensités des facteurs totales sont d’importance pour expliquer les flux commerciaux nets des biens. De plus, s’il y a des biens non-commercés, les intensités des facteurs des biens commercés devraient être modifiées de manière à inclure les inputs directs des facteurs dans le montant total des biens non-commercés qui sont utilisés dans la production des biens commercés. Ces résultats sont rigoureusement dérivés si les biens commercés et les facteurs sont de même nombre. Si le nombre des biens commercés excède le nombre des facteurs, il y a une tendance à la spécialisation dans la production. Dans ce cas et si tous les biens sont commercés et s’il n’y a pas des biens non-commercés, les intensités des facteurs directes sont encore d’importance pour l’allocation de la production brute, pendant que les intensités des facteurs totales sont moins d’importance pour les flux commerciaux, comparé avec le cas où il n’y a pas une spécialisation dans la production.

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Resumen Deberían utilizarse las intensidades de factores directas o totales en los ensayos de la hipótesis de proporción de factores? — Este artículo se ocupa de la hipótesis de proporción de factores y las intensidades de factores con las que las hipótesis pueden ser sometidas a prueba. Si todos los bienes, incluyendo inputs intermedios, son comerciados y no hay especializaci?n en la produeei?n, las intensidades de factores directas son relevantes para explicar la asignaei?n de la produeeión bruta entre países; considerando que las intensidades de factores totales son relevantes para explicar los rlujos netos del comercio de bienes. Más aún, si hay bienes no comerciables, las intensidades de factores de bienes comerciables deberían modificarse de tal manera de incluir los inputs factoriales directos en los montos totales de bienes no comerciables utilizados en la produeeión de bienes comerciables. Estos resultados se muestran rigurosamente para el caso de un númro igual de bienes transables y de factores. Si el número de bienes transables sobrepasa el número de factores, hay una tendencia hacia la especialización en la produeeión. Para tal caso, con comercio en todos los bienes y sin bienes no transables, la intensidad directa de factores est’ aún relacionada con la asignaeión de la produeeión bruta; considerando que las intensidades totales de factores están relacionadas con los flujos comerciales, aunque menos claramente que sin especialización en la produeeión.

     

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