IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/isu/genres/39137.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Can Trade be good for the environment?

Author

Listed:
  • Lapan, Harvey E.
  • Sikdar, Shiva

Abstract

We analyze the impact of trade in a differentiated good on environmental policy when there is local and transboundary pollution. In autarky, the (equivalent) pollution tax is set equal to the marginal damage from own emissions. If the strategic policy instrument is a tax, leakage occurs under trade and tends to lower the tax. The net terms of trade effect, due to the exportable and importable varieties of the differentiated good, tends to increase the tax. We derive conditions under which pollution taxes under trade are higher than the marginal damage from own emissions, i.e., higher than the Pigouvian tax and than that under autarky. Then, pollution falls under trade relative to autarky. When countries use quotas/permits to regulate pollution, there is no leakage, while the net terms of trade effect tends to make pollution policy stricter. The equivalent tax is always higher than the marginal damage from own emissions, i.e., always higher than the Pigouvian tax and than that under autarky; hence, pollution always falls under trade. Our analysis provides some insight into the findings in the empirical literature that trade might be good for the environment.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
<
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Lapan, Harvey E. & Sikdar, Shiva, 2014. "Can Trade be good for the environment?," Staff General Research Papers Archive 39137, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:isu:genres:39137
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/papers/p19137-2014-09-23.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brander, James & Krugman, Paul, 1983. "A 'reciprocal dumping' model of international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3-4), pages 313-321, November.
    2. Karp, Larry & Sacheti, Sandeep & Zhao, Jinhua, 2001. "Common Ground between Free-Traders and Environmentalists," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 42(3), pages 617-647, August.
    3. Bernhofen, Daniel M., 1999. "Intra-industry trade and strategic interaction: Theory and evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 225-244, February.
    4. Josh Ederington & Jenny Minier, 2003. "Is environmental policy a secondary trade barrier? An empirical analysis," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 36(1), pages 137-154, February.
    5. Nicole Gürtzgen & Michael Rauscher, 2000. "Environmental Policy, Intra-Industry Trade and Transfrontier Pollution," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 17(1), pages 59-71, September.
    6. Benarroch, Michael & Weder, Rolf, 2006. "Intra-industry trade in intermediate products, pollution and internationally increasing returns," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 675-689, November.
    7. Lee, Hiro & Roland-Holst, David, 1997. "The environment and welfare implications of trade and tax policy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 65-82, February.
    8. Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2004. "Trade, Growth, and the Environment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(1), pages 7-71, March.
    9. Fabio Antoniou & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Phoebe Koundouri, 2014. "Tradable permits vs ecological dumping when governments act non-cooperatively," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(1), pages 188-208, January.
    10. Anna Strutt & Kym Anderson, 2000. "Will Trade Liberalization Harm the Environment? The Case of Indonesia to 2020," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 17(3), pages 203-232, November.
    11. Harvey E. Lapan & Shiva Sikdar, 2011. "Strategic Environmental Policy under Free Trade with Transboundary Pollution," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, February.
    12. Copeland, Brian R & Taylor, M Scott, 1995. "Trade and Transboundary Pollution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(4), pages 716-737, September.
    13. Sikdar, Shiva & Lapan, Harvey E., 2012. "Carbon leakage: the role of sequential policy setting," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 91-104, February.
    14. Werner Antweiler & Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2001. "Is Free Trade Good for the Environment?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(4), pages 877-908, September.
    15. Rauscher, Michael, 1997. "International Trade, Factor Movements, and the Environment," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198290506.
    16. Tharakan, P. K. M., 1984. "Intra-industry trade between the industrial countries and the developing world," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1-2), pages 213-227.
    17. K. C. Fung & Andrea Maechler, 2007. "Trade liberalization and the environment: The case of intra-industry trade," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 53-69.
    18. Akihiko Yanase, 2007. "Dynamic Games of Environmental Policy in a Global Economy: Taxes versus Quotas," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(3), pages 592-611, August.
    19. Alexander Haupt, 2006. "Environmental Policy in Open Economies and Monopolistic Competition," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 33(2), pages 143-167, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Llop Maria, 2023. "Environmental Taxation and International Trade in a Tax-Distorted Economy," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 1-12, January.
    2. Harvey E. Lapan & Shiva Sikdar, 2019. "Is Trade in Permits Good for the Environment?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(2), pages 501-510, February.
    3. Michael S. Michael & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Nikos Tsakiris, 2023. "Can small economies act strategically? The case of consumption pollution and non-tradable goods," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 02-2023, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    4. Fabio Antoniou & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Michael S. Michael & Nikos Tsakiris, 2019. "On the Principles of Commodity Taxation under Interregional Externalities," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 03-2019, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Harvey E. Lapan & Shiva Sikdar, 2019. "Is Trade in Permits Good for the Environment?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(2), pages 501-510, February.
    2. Michael Benarroch & James Gaisford, 2014. "Intra-industry Trade Liberalization and the Environment," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(5), pages 886-904, November.
    3. Anriquez, Gustavo, 2002. "Trade And The Environment: An Economic Literature Survey," Working Papers 28598, University of Maryland, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    4. Roy, Jayjit, 2017. "On the environmental consequences of intra-industry trade," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 50-67.
    5. Rikard Forslid & Toshihiro Okubo & Mark Sanctuary, 2017. "Trade Liberalization, Transboundary Pollution, and Market Size," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(3), pages 927-957.
    6. Benarroch, Michael & Weder, Rolf, 2006. "Intra-industry trade in intermediate products, pollution and internationally increasing returns," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 675-689, November.
    7. Udo Kreickemeier & Philipp M. Richter, 2014. "Trade and the Environment: The Role of Firm Heterogeneity," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 209-225, May.
    8. Helen Tammela Naughton, 2010. "Globalization and Emissions in Europe," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 7(2), pages 503-519, December.
    9. Dhimitri Qirjo & Razvan Pascalau, 2019. "The Role of TTIP on the Environment," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 85(4), pages 1262-1285, April.
    10. Bo Li & Fei Xing & Mark Yu, 2018. "Upstream Pricing Schemes, Trade Liberalization, Trade and Environmental Policies of Downstream Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    11. Nikos Tsakiris & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Michael S. Michael, 2017. "Welfare Ranking of Environmental Policies in the Presence of Capital Mobility and Cross‐Border Pollution," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(1), pages 317-336, July.
    12. Copeland, Brian R. & Taylor, M. Scott, 2005. "Free trade and global warming: a trade theory view of the Kyoto protocol," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 205-234, March.
    13. Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2004. "Trade, Growth, and the Environment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(1), pages 7-71, March.
    14. Teodoro Gallucci & Vesselina Dimitrova & Georgi Marinov, 2019. "Interrelation between Eco-Innovation and Intra-Industry Trade—A Proposal for a Proxy Indicator of Sustainability in the EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-13, November.
    15. Qirjo, Dhimitri & Pascalau, Razvan & Krichevskiy, Dmitriy, 2019. "CETA and Air Pollution," MPRA Paper 95608, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Bård Harstad, 2020. "Trade and Trees: How Trade Agreements Can Motivate Conservation Instead of Depletion," CESifo Working Paper Series 8569, CESifo.
    17. Rauscher, Michael, 2001. "International trade, foreign investment, and the environment," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 29, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics.
    18. Horatiu A. Rus, 2016. "Renewable Resources, Pollution and Trade," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 364-391, May.
    19. Nuno Carlos Leitão & Jeremiás Máté Balogh, 2020. "The impact of intra-industry trade on carbon dioxide emissions: The case of the European Union," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 66(5), pages 203-214.
    20. Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2017. "Environmental and resource economics: A Canadian retrospective," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(5), pages 1381-1413, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Strategic environmental policy; leakage e ect; intra-industry trade; transboundary pollution.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F - International Economics
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • H - Public Economics
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:isu:genres:39137. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Curtis Balmer (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deiasus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.