IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v80y2022icp1-11.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Revenue-neutral or profit-neutral tariff and tax reforms under imperfect competition: Welfare implications

Author

Listed:
  • Chang, Yang-Ming
  • Sargsyan, Ruben

Abstract

Concerns over the financial losses of government in revenues resulting from tariff reductions under trade liberalization have triggered many low-income countries to opt for a proper strategy of reforming their domestic consumption taxes. This paper analyzes the welfare effects of two coordinated tariff and tax reform strategies: one is to keep government revenue unaffected, and the other is to leave domestic profit unchanged when there are tariff cuts. Within a stylized framework of international duopoly, we identify conditions under which the tariff and tax reforms (revenue-neutral and profit-neutral) make domestic consumers better off and are welfare improving to a reforming country.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Yang-Ming & Sargsyan, Ruben, 2022. "Revenue-neutral or profit-neutral tariff and tax reforms under imperfect competition: Welfare implications," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1-11.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:80:y:2022:i:c:p:1-11
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2022.02.029
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056022000508
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2022.02.029?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noel Gaston & Daniel Trefler, 1997. "The Labour Market Consequences of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 30(1), pages 18-41, February.
    2. Michael, Michael S. & Hatzipanayotou, Panos & Miller, Stephen M., 1993. "Integrated reforms of tariffs and consumption taxes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 417-428, October.
    3. David H. Romer & Jeffrey A. Frankel, 1999. "Does Trade Cause Growth?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(3), pages 379-399, June.
    4. Jen Baggs & James A Brander, 2006. "Trade liberalization, profitability, and financial leverage," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(2), pages 196-211, March.
    5. Daniel Trefler, 2004. "The Long and Short of the Canada-U. S. Free Trade Agreement," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 870-895, September.
    6. Ben-David, Dan, 1996. "Trade and convergence among countries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(3-4), pages 279-298, May.
    7. James E. Anderson & Arja Turunen-Red, 1999. "Trade Reform with a Government Budget Constraint," International Economic Association Series, in: John Piggott & Alan Woodland (ed.), International Trade Policy and the Pacific Rim, chapter 9, pages 217-244, Palgrave Macmillan.
    8. Hatzipanayotou, Panos & Michael, Michael S. & Miller, Stephen M., 1994. "Win-win indirect tax reform : A modest proposal," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(1-2), pages 147-151.
    9. Irwin, Douglas A. & Tervio, Marko, 2002. "Does trade raise income?: Evidence from the twentieth century," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 1-18, October.
    10. Edwards, Sebastian, 1998. "Openness, Productivity and Growth: What Do We Really Know?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(447), pages 383-398, March.
    11. Kieun Shim & Kyonghwa Jeong, 2016. "Revenue-enhancing Trade Liberalization in a Differentiated Duopoly," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 561-573, May.
    12. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Andrew Warner, 1995. "Economic Reform and the Process of Global Integration," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 26(1, 25th A), pages 1-118.
    13. Emran, M. Shahe & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 2005. "On selective indirect tax reform in developing countries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(4), pages 599-623, April.
    14. W. E. Diewert & A. H. Turunen-Red & A. D. Woodland, 1989. "Productivity- and Pareto-Improving Changes in Taxes and Tariffs," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 56(2), pages 199-215.
    15. Eugene Beaulieu, 2000. "The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and labour market adjustment in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(2), pages 540-563, May.
    16. Dixit, Avinash, 1984. "International Trade Policy for Oligopolistic Industries," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 94(376a), pages 1-16, Supplemen.
    17. Kenji Fujiwara, 2013. "A Win–Win–Win Tariff–Tax Reform under Imperfect Competition," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 857-867, November.
    18. Kenji Fujiwara, 2016. "Tax Principles and Tariff-Tax Reforms under International Oligopoly," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 18(1), pages 84-98, February.
    19. Fujiwara, Kenji, 2014. "Pareto-improving tariff-tax reforms under imperfect competition," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 12-20.
    20. Jen Baggs, 2005. "Firm survival and exit in response to trade liberalization," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 38(4), pages 1364-1383, November.
    21. Ourania Karakosta & Nikos Tsakiris, 2014. "Can tariff and tax reforms deliver welfare improvements under imperfect competition?," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 315-328, April.
    22. Chang, Roberto & Kaltani, Linda & Loayza, Norman V., 2009. "Openness can be good for growth: The role of policy complementarities," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 33-49, September.
    23. Edwards, Sebastian, 1993. "Openness, Trade Liberalization, and Growth in Developing Countries," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 31(3), pages 1358-1393, September.
    24. Jen Baggs, 2005. "Firm survival and exit in response to trade liberalization," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(4), pages 1364-1383, November.
    25. Michael Keen & Jenny E. Ligthart, 2005. "Coordinating Tariff Reduction and Domestic Tax Reform under Imperfect Competition," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(2), pages 385-390, May.
    26. Ben-David, Dan & Loewy, Michael B, 1998. "Free Trade, Growth, and Convergence," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 143-170, June.
    27. Keen, Michael & Ligthart, Jenny E., 2002. "Coordinating tariff reduction and domestic tax reform," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 489-507, March.
    28. Masayuki Okawa & Tatsuya Iguchi, 2016. "Welfare-improving Coordinated Tariff and Sales Tax Reforms under Imperfect Competition," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 475-487, May.
    29. Baunsgaard, Thomas & Keen, Michael, 2010. "Tax revenue and (or?) trade liberalization," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(9-10), pages 563-577, October.
    30. Takumi Naito & Kenzo Abe, 2008. "Welfare‐ and Revenue‐Enhancing Tariff and Tax Reform under Imperfect Competition," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 10(6), pages 1085-1094, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Panos Hatzipanayotou & Sajal Lahiri & Michael Michael, 2011. "Trade and domestic tax reforms in the presence of a public good and different neutrality conditions," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 18(3), pages 273-290, June.
    2. Amèvi Rocard Kouwoaye, 2019. "Trade tax reforms and poverty in developing countries: Why do some countries benefit and others lose?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-66, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Michael S. Michael & Sajal Lahiri & Panos Hatzipanayotou, 2015. "Piecemeal Reform of Domestic Indirect Taxes toward Uniformity in the Presence of Pollution: with and without a Revenue Constraint," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 17(2), pages 174-195, April.
    4. Kenji Fujiwara, 2016. "Tax Principles and Tariff-Tax Reforms under International Oligopoly," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 18(1), pages 84-98, February.
    5. Kieun Shim & Kyonghwa Jeong, 2016. "Revenue-enhancing Trade Liberalization in a Differentiated Duopoly," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 561-573, May.
    6. Zou, Yuxiang & Chen, Tai-Liang, 2016. "International joint venture and welfare-improving tariff-tax reforms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 27-35.
    7. Emran, M. Shahe & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 2005. "On selective indirect tax reform in developing countries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(4), pages 599-623, April.
    8. Keen, Michael, 2008. "VAT, tariffs, and withholding: Border taxes and informality in developing countries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(10-11), pages 1892-1906, October.
    9. Kenji Fujiwara, 2014. "Tax Principles and Coordination of Trade and Domestic Policies Under Imperfect Competition," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1-2), pages 29-40, June.
    10. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2021. "Tax reform and public debt instability in developing countries: The trade openness and public revenue instability channels," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 54-67.
    11. M. Shahe Emran & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2004. "Price-neutral Tax Reform With an Informal Economy," Public Economics 0407010, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Jen Baggs & Eugene Beaulieu & Loretta Fung, 2009. "Firm survival, performance, and the exchange rate," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 42(2), pages 393-421, May.
    13. Muhammad Arshad Khan & Ayaz Ahmed, 2012. "Modelling Trade, Investment, Growth and Liberalisation: Case Study of Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 51(4), pages 187-208.
    14. Takumi Naito & Kenzo Abe, 2008. "Welfare‐ and Revenue‐Enhancing Tariff and Tax Reform under Imperfect Competition," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 10(6), pages 1085-1094, December.
    15. Tarlok Singh, 2010. "Does International Trade Cause Economic Growth? A Survey," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(11), pages 1517-1564, November.
    16. Mr. Andrew Berg & Anne O. Krueger, 2003. "Trade, Growth, and Poverty: A Selective Survey," IMF Working Papers 2003/030, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Kodjo Adandohoin & Vigninou Gammadigbe, 2022. "The revenue efficiency consequences of the announcement of a tax transition reform: The case of WAEMU countries," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(S1), pages 195-218, July.
    18. Michael Keen, 2007. "VAT attacks!," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 14(4), pages 365-381, August.
    19. Bajo-Rubio, Oscar & Ramos-Herrera, María del Carmen, 2023. "Does international trade promote economic growth? Europe, 19th and 20th centuries," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1358, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    20. Kuo-Hsing Kuo & Cheng-Te Lee & Chen Fang, 2014. "Free Trade and Economic Growth," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1-2), pages 69-76, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tariff cuts; Domestic tax reforms; Revenue neutrality; Profit neutrality; Welfare effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:80:y:2022:i:c:p:1-11. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620165 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.