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A welfare ranking of multilateral reductions in real and tariff trade barriers when firms are heterogenous

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  • Philipp J.H. Schröder

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

  • Allan Sørensen

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

Abstract

Trade liberalization comes about through reductions in various types of trade costs. This paper introduces, apart from real variable (i.e. iceberg) and fixed export costs, two partially redistributed tariffs into a Melitz (2003) model. We present comparable results for welfare effects and changes in industry structure by analyzing the different liberalization channels for an equal effect on openness. The welfare ranking is sensitive to the degree of efficiency in tariff redistribution, e.g. the share of tariff revenues wasted on rent-seeking activities. Ad valorem tariff cuts switch from the least to the most preferred mode of liberalization as the fraction of tariffs wasted moves from zero to unity. Apart from a situation with no tariff redistribution, reductions in iceberg trade costs are preferred to reductions in real fixed trade costs which again are preferred to cuts in unit tariffs.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp J.H. Schröder & Allan Sørensen, 2011. "A welfare ranking of multilateral reductions in real and tariff trade barriers when firms are heterogenous," Economics Working Papers 2011-18, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    • Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2011-18
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew T. Cole & Ben Zissimos, 2014. "Too Small To Protect? The Role of Firm Size in Trade Agreements," Working Papers 1410, Florida International University, Department of Economics.
    2. Jung, Benjamin & Felbermayr, Gabriel & Larch, Mario, 2013. "Icebergs versus Tariffs: A Quantitative Perspective on the Gains from Trade," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79707, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Tibor Besedeš & Matthew T. Cole, 2017. "Distorted Trade Barriers: A Dissection of Trade Costs in a “Distorted Gravity” Model," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 148-164, February.
    4. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Jung, Benjamin & Larch, Mario, 2013. "Optimal tariffs, retaliation, and the welfare loss from tariff wars in the Melitz model," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 13-25.
    5. Aleksandr Kljuènikov & Mehmet Civelek & Cyril Klimeš & Radim Farana, 2022. "Export risk perceptions of SMEs in selected Visegrad countries," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(1), pages 173-190, March.
    6. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Jung, Benjamin & Larch, Mario, 2015. "The welfare consequences of import tariffs: A quantitative perspective," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 295-309.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Real Trade Costs; Non-Tariff Barriers; Tariffs; Frictional Trade Costs; Iceberg Costs; Integration;
    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
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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