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Inequality, Nonhomothetic Preferences, and Trade: A Gravity Approach

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Author Info
Muhammed Dalgin () (Kania School of Management, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510, USA)
Vitor Trindade () (Department of Economics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA)
Devashish Mitra () (Department of Economics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-1090, USA)

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Abstract

We construct the first direct classification of goods as luxuries or necessities that is compatible with international trade data. We then use it to test an idea that has not been tested directly in the literature: Countries' income distributions are important determinants of their import demand, and, in particular, of the difference in their import demands of luxuries versus necessities. We interpret this result with the aid of a model in which preferences are nonhomothetic, thus relaxing a long-held and standard—but empirically dubious—assumption in the theory of international trade. Our model is strongly borne out by the results: Imports of luxuries increase with the importing country's inequality, and imports of necessities decrease with it. Our calculations imply that if income distribution in the United States became as equal as in Canada, the United States would import about 9–13% fewer luxury goods and 13–19% more necessities.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Southern Economic Association in its journal Southern Economic Journal.

Volume (Year): 74 (2008)
Issue (Month): 3 (January)
Pages: 747-774
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Handle: RePEc:sej:ancoec:v:74:3:y:2008:p:747-774

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies
D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. James A. Dunlevy, 2006. "The Influence of Corruption and Language on the Protrade Effect of Immigrants: Evidence from the American States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 88(1), pages 182-186, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Devashish Mitra & Vitor Trindade, 2003. "Inequality and Trade," NBER Working Papers 10087, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Simon J. Evenett & Wolfgang Keller, 2002. "On Theories Explaining the Success of the Gravity Equation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(2), pages 281-316, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Freund, Caroline L. & Weinhold, Diana, 2004. "The effect of the Internet on international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 171-189, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2003. "Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 170-192, March. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Feenstra, Robert C, 2002. "Border Effects and the Gravity Equation: Consistent Methods for Estimation," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 49(5), pages 491-506, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Robert C. Feenstra & James R. Markusen & Andrew K. Rose, 2001. "Using the gravity equation to differentiate among alternative theories of trade," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 34(2), pages 430-447, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Hunter, Linda, 1991. "The contribution of nonhomothetic preferences to trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3-4), pages 345-358, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Dollar, David & Kraay, Aart, 2002. " Growth Is Good for the Poor," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 195-225, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Deininger, Klaus & Squire, Lyn, 1996. "A New Data Set Measuring Income Inequality," World Bank Economic Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(3), pages 565-91, September.
  11. Rauch, James E., 1999. "Networks versus markets in international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 7-35, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Francois, Joseph F & Kaplan, Seth, 1996. "Aggregate Demand Shifts, Income Distribution, and the Linder Hypothesis," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 78(2), pages 244-50, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Andrew K. Rose & Eric van Wincoop, 2001. "National Money as a Barrier to International Trade: The Real Case for Currency Union," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 386-390, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Andrew K. Rose, 2004. "Do We Really Know That the WTO Increases Trade?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 98-114, March. [Downloadable!]
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  15. Redding, Stephen J & Venables, Anthony J., 2000. "Economic Geography and International Inequality," CEPR Discussion Papers 2568, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Markusen, James R, 1986. "Explaining the Volume of Trade: An Eclectic Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1002-11, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Harrigan, James, 1996. "Openness to trade in manufactures in the OECD," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-2), pages 23-39, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Devashish Mitra & Vitor Trindade, 2003. "Inequality and Trade," NBER Working Papers 10087, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Juan Carlos Hallak, 2004. "Product Quality, Linder, and the Direction of Trade," NBER Working Papers 10877, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Pablo D. Fajgelbaum & Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 2009. "Income Distribution, Product Quality, and International Trade," NBER Working Papers 15329, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Tibor Besedes & Thomas J. Prusa, 2004. "Surviving the U.S. Import Market: The Role of Product Differentiation," NBER Working Papers 10319, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Femenia, Fabienne & Gohin, Alexandre, 2007. "Estimating price elasticities of food trade functions: How relevant is the gravity approach?," Working Papers 7211, TRADEAG - Agricultural Trade Agreements. [Downloadable!]
  6. Kwok Tong Soo, 2006. "What does the eclectic trade model say about the Samuelson conundrum?," Working Papers 004284, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
  7. Mario A. Maggioni & Mario Nosvelli & T. Erika Uberti, 2006. "Space Vs. Networks in the Geography of Innovation: A European Analysis," Working Papers 2006.153, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei. [Downloadable!]
  8. Frank Van Oort & Roderik Ponds & Koen Frenken, 2006. "The Geographical and Institutional Proximity of Scientific Collaboration Networks," ERSA conference papers ersa06p762, European Regional Science Association. [Downloadable!]
  9. Alessandro Olper & Valentina Raimondi, 2007. "Patterns and Determinants of International Trade Costs in the Food Industry," LICOS Discussion Papers 18807, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, K.U.Leuven. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Juan Carlos Hallak, 2006. "A Product-Quality View of the Linder Hypothesis," NBER Working Papers 12712, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Otto Raspe & Frank Van Oort & Martijn Burger, 2006. "Economic Networks and Urban Complementarities in the Dutch Randstad Region," ERSA conference papers ersa06p827, European Regional Science Association. [Downloadable!]
  12. M. A. Maggioni & T. E. Uberti, 2006. "International networks of knowledge flows: an econometric analysis," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2005-19, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group. [Downloadable!]
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