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The arm's length principle and tacit collusion

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  • Choe, Chongwoo
  • Matsushima, Noriaki

Abstract

The arm's length principle states that the transfer price between two associated enterprises should be the price that would be paid for similar goods in similar circumstances by unrelated parties dealing at arm's length with each other. This paper examines the effect of the arm's length principle on dynamic competition in two alternative models of vertical market structure. It is shown that the arm's length principle renders tacit collusion more stable and can reduce welfare when collusion targets the maximum collusive profit achievable in each environment.

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  • Choe, Chongwoo & Matsushima, Noriaki, 2013. "The arm's length principle and tacit collusion," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 119-130.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:31:y:2013:i:1:p:119-130
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2012.12.001
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kendall, Graham & Lenten, Liam J.A., 2017. "When sports rules go awry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 257(2), pages 377-394.
    3. Hiroshi Mukunoki & Hirofumi Okoshi, 2021. "Tariff elimination versus tax avoidance: free trade agreements and transfer pricing," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(5), pages 1188-1210, October.
    4. Hamamura, Jumpei & Kurita, Kenichi, 2021. "Does stigma against tax avoidance improve social welfare?," MPRA Paper 107173, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Lemus, Ana B. & Moreno, Diego, 2020. "Strategic incentives for keeping one set of books under the Arm’s Length Principle," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 78-90.
    6. Hayato Kato & Hirofumi Okoshi, 2019. "Production location of multinational firms under transfer pricing: the impact of the arm’s length principle," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(4), pages 835-871, August.
    7. MUKUNOKI Hiroshi & OKOSHI Hirofumi, 2022. "Antidumping on Tax-induced Dumping," Discussion papers 22063, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    8. Lemus Torres, Ana Belén, 2011. "Strategic incentives for kepping one set of books under the Arm's Length Principle," UC3M Working papers. Economics we1135, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    9. OKOSHI Hirofumi, 2024. "Negotiation for Transfer Prices under the Arm's Length Principle," Discussion papers 24026, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    10. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2020. "The Effects Of The Base Erosion And Profit Shifting (Beps) Action 13 On Transfer Pricing Practices: A Comparative Empirical Study Of New Zealand And Vietnam," OSF Preprints gq27c, Center for Open Science.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transfer price; Arm's length principle; Tacit collusion; Stability of collusion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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