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Prices and production cost in aluminium smelting in the short and the long run

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  • Isabel Figuerola-Ferretti

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to reflect the institutional changes that have characterized the aluminium industry as a result of the introduction of London's Metal Exchange (LME) trading. In doing this, it is shown that product prices are taken exogenously and linked to input prices via risk sharing agreements. This forces producers, in a competitive environment, to minimize costs. The latter is completed with a description of their investment decision-making mechanism, in which investment is determined by cost, and a measure of Tobin's q. The main contributions of this study are: the use of a proprietary and complete industry data set that allows one (a) to set up the short run input and output price relationships; (b) to model the optimizing behaviour of the sector via a flexible cost function (translog) allowing scale economies and non-constant factor substitution; and (c) to describe the investment-process that has emerged with the introduction of LME trading.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Figuerola-Ferretti, 2005. "Prices and production cost in aluminium smelting in the short and the long run," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(8), pages 917-928.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:37:y:2005:i:8:p:917-928
    DOI: 10.1080/00036840500061244
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Domowitz, Ian & Hubbard, R Glenn & Petersen, Bruce C, 1987. "Oligopoly Supergames: Some Empirical Evidence on Prices and Margins," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 379-398, June.
    2. Andrew C. Harvey, 1990. "The Econometric Analysis of Time Series, 2nd Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 026208189x, December.
    3. Isabel Figuerola-Ferretti & Christopher L. Gilbert, 2001. "Has Futures Trading Affected the Volatility of Aluminium Transactions Prices?," Working Papers 432, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    4. Lindquist, Kjersti-Gro, 1995. "The Existence of Factor Substitution in the Primary Aluminum Industry: A Multivariate Error-Correction Approach Using Norwegian Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 361-383.
    5. Isabel Figuerola-Ferretti & Christopher L. Gilbert, 2001. "Has Futures Trading Affected the Volatility of Aluminium Transactions Prices?," Working Papers 432, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    6. Isabel Figuerola-Ferretti & Christopher L. Gilbert, 2001. "Price Variability and Marketing Method in the Non-Ferrous Metals Industry," Working Papers 431, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    7. Isabel Figuerola-Ferretti & Christopher L. Gilbert, 2001. "Price Variability and Marketing Method in the Non-Ferrous Metals Industry," Working Papers 431, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    8. Froeb, Luke & Geweke, John, 1987. "Long run competition in the U.S. aluminum industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 67-78, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Blomberg, Jerry & Söderholm, Patrik, 2011. "Factor demand flexibility in the primary aluminium industry: Evidence from stagnating and expanding regions," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 238-248, September.
    2. Jerry Blomberg & Bo Jonsson, 2011. "Evaluating the efficiency of the global primary aluminum smelting industry: a data envelopment approach," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 24(1), pages 29-44, July.

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