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Vertical Coordination, Antitrust Law, and International Trade

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  • Hamilton, Stephen F
  • Stiegert, Kyle

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that vertically aligned private or public organizations are capable of generating strategic trade advantage similar to that acquired through direct government export subsidization. The model considers two forms of vertical coordination that lead to advantageous trade positions in international markets: upstream vertical restraint and downstream equity sharing. Such practices are commonly employed both by state trading agencies and by private firms in nations with lenient antitrust laws. The finding has important implications under new World Trade Organization (WTO) rules intended to reduce government intervention in international transactions. Recent reforms in the WTO favor nations that sanction highly refined vertical linkages between firms, while nations with stringent antitrust legislation have an incentive to negotiate for greater harmonization of international laws. Copyright 2000 by the University of Chicago.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamilton, Stephen F & Stiegert, Kyle, 2000. "Vertical Coordination, Antitrust Law, and International Trade," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(1), pages 143-156, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:v:43:y:2000:i:1:p:143-56
    DOI: 10.1086/467450
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    Cited by:

    1. Hamilton, Stephen F. & Stiegert, Kyle W., 2002. "An empirical test of the rent-shifting hypothesis: the case of state trading enterprises," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 135-157, October.
    2. Hamilton, Stephen F. & Requate, Till, 2004. "Vertical structure and strategic environmental trade policy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 260-269, March.
    3. Reimer, Jeffrey J. & Steigert, Kyle W., 2006. "Imperfect Competition and Strategic Trade Theory: What Have We Learned?," Working Papers 201528, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Food System Research Group.
    4. Sajal Lahiri & Yingyi Tsai, 2019. "Foreign penetration and domestic competition," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 27-45, September.
    5. Reimer, Jeffrey J. & Stiegert, Kyle W., 2006. "Evidence on Imperfect Competition and Strategic Trade Theory," Staff Paper Series 498, University of Wisconsin, Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    6. Fengxia Dong & Thomas L. Marsh & Kyle W. Stiegert, 2006. "State Trading Enterprises in a Differentiated Product Environment: The Case of Global Malting Barley Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(1), pages 90-103.
    7. Stiegert, Kyle W. & Wang, Shinn-Shyr, 2003. "Imperfect Competition And Strategic Trade Theory: What Have We Learned," Working Papers 14589, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium.
    8. Margherita Scoppola, 2007. "Economies of scale and market structure in international grain trade," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 37(2‐3), pages 277-291, September.
    9. Ying Li & Wing-Keung Wong & Ming Jing Yang & Yang-Che Wu & Tien-Trung Nguyen, 2022. "Modeling the Linkage between Vertical Contracts and Strategic Environmental Policy: Energy Price Marketization Level and Strategic Choice for China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-12, June.

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