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Steepest Ascent Tariff Reforms

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Author Info
Pascalis Raimondos-Møller ()
Alan D. Woodland ()

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Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of a steepest ascent tariff reform for a small open economy. By construction, it is locally optimal in that it yields the highest gain in utility of any feasible tariff reform vector of the same length. Accordingly, it provides a convenient benchmark for the evaluation of the welfare effectiveness of other well known tariff reform rules, as e.g. the proportional and the concertina rules. We develop the properties of this tariff reform, characterize the sources of the potential welfare gains from tariff reform, use it to establish conditions under which some existing reforms are locally optimal, provide geometric illustrations and compare welfare effectiveness of reforms using numerical examples. Moreover, being a general concept, we apply it to the issue of market access and examine its implications. Overall, the paper’s contribution lies in presenting a theoretical concept where the focus is upon the size of welfare gains accruing from tariff reforms rather than simply with the direction of welfare effects that has been the concern of the literature.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by CESifo Group Munich in its series CESifo Working Paper Series with number CESifo Working Paper No. 1760.

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Date of creation: 2006
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Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1760

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Related research
Keywords: steepest ascent tariff reforms; piecemeal tariff policy; welfare; market access; small open economy;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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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. Anderson, James E & Neary, J Peter, 1992. "Trade Reform with Quotas, Partial Rent Retention, and Tariffs," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(1), pages 57-76, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Fukushima, Takashi, 1979. "Tariff Structure, Nontraded Goods and Theory of Piecemeal Policy Recommendations," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 20(2), pages 427-35, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Kee, Hiau Looi & Nicita, Alessandro & Olarreaga, Marcelo, 2006. "Estimating trade restrictiveness indices," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3840, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Lloyd, P. J., 1974. "A more general theory of price distortions in open economies," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 365-386, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Diewert, W E & Turunen-Red, A H & Woodland, A D, 1989. "Productivity- and Pareto-Improving Changes in Taxes and Tariffs," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 56(2), pages 199-215, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Neary, J Peter, 1995. "Trade Liberalisation and Shadow Prices in the Presence of Tariffs and Quotas," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 36(3), pages 531-54, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Tirole, J. & Guesnerie, R., 1981. "Tax reform from the gradient projection viewpoint," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 275-293, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Abe, Kenzo, 1992. "Tariff Reform in a Small Open Economy with Public Production," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 33(1), pages 209-22, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Weymark, John A., 1981. "Undominated directions of tax reform," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 343-369, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Diewert, W E & Turunen-Red, A H & Woodland, A D, 1991. "Tariff Reform in a Small Open Multi-household Economy with Domestic Distortions and Nontraded Goods," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 32(4), pages 937-57, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Ju, Jiandong & Krishna, Kala, 2000. "Welfare and market access effects of piecemeal tariff reform," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 305-316, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Diewert, W. E., 1978. "Optimal tax perturbations," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 139-177, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Hatta, Tatsuo, 1977. "A Recommendation for a Better Tariff Structure," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 45(8), pages 1859-69, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. Kreickemeier, Udo & Raimondos-Møller, Pascalis, 2006. "Tariff-Tax Reforms and Market Access," CEPR Discussion Papers 5889, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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