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Inequality and Trade

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Author Info
Devashish Mitra
Vitor Trindade

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Abstract

We incorporate demand-side considerations in trade in a systematic but straightforward way. We do so by focusing on the role of inequality in the determination of trade flows and patterns. With nonhomothetic preferences, when countries are similar in all respects but asset inequality, we find that trade is driven by specialization in consumption, not production. These assumptions allow us to generate some interesting international spillover effects of redistributive policies. We also look at the effects of combining inequality and endowment differences on trade flows, and see that this has implications for the mystery of the missing trade.' We then study a model of monopolistic competition, and find a novel V-shaped relationship between the ratio of inter-industry to intra-industry trade and a country's inequality. Finally, we look at how international differences in factor endowments affect this relationship between the ratio of inter- to- intra-industry trade and inequality. Our theory formalizes as well as modifies Linder's conjecture about the relationship between intraindustry trade and the extent of similarity between trading partners.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 10087.

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Date of creation: Nov 2003
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10087

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F1 - International Economics - - Trade

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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. Muhammed Dalgin & Devashish Mitra & Vitor Trindade, 2004. "Inequality, Nonhomothetic Preferences, and Trade: A Gravity Approach," NBER Working Papers 10800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Francois, Joseph F & Kaplan, Seth, 1996. "Aggregate Demand Shifts, Income Distribution, and the Linder Hypothesis," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 78(2), pages 244-50, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2003. "Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 170-192, March. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Mani, Anandi, 2001. " Income Distribution and the Demand Constraint," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 107-33, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Thursby, Jerry G & Thursby, Marie C, 1987. "Bilateral Trade Flows, the Linder Hypothesis, and Exchange Risk," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 69(3), pages 488-95, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Kiminori Matsuyama, 2000. "A Ricardian Model with a Continuum of Goods under Nonhomothetic Preferences: Demand Complementarities, Income Distribution, and North-South Trade," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(6), pages 1093-1120, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Markusen, James R, 1986. "Explaining the Volume of Trade: An Eclectic Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1002-11, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Murphy, Kevin M & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1989. "Income Distribution, Market Size, and Industrialization," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 104(3), pages 537-64, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Krugman, Paul R., 1979. "Increasing returns, monopolistic competition, and international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 469-479, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, 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. Pablo D. Fajgelbaum & Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 2009. "Income Distribution, Product Quality, and International Trade," NBER Working Papers 15329, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Tebaldi, Edinaldo & Kim, Jongsung, 2008. "Two Tales on the Returns to Education: The Impact of Trade on Wages," MPRA Paper 9698, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  3. Vitor Trindade & Muhammed Dalgin & Devashish Mitra, 2006. "Inequality, Nonhomothetic Preferences, And Trade: A Gravity Approach," Working Papers 0606, Department of Economics, University of Missouri, revised 08 May 2006. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Kwok Tong Soo, 2006. "What does the eclectic trade model say about the Samuelson conundrum?," Working Papers 004284, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
  5. Marcelo, Fukushima, 2008. "Non-Homothetic Preferences and Labor Heterogeneity: The Effects of Income Inequality on Trade Patterns," MPRA Paper 13385, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Nina Pavcnik, 2004. "Trade, Inequality, and Poverty: What Do We Know? Evidence from Recent Trade Liberalization Episodes in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 10593, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Reto Foellmi & Joseph Zweimüller, 2006. "Mass Consumption, Exclusion, and Unemployment," IEW - Working Papers iewwp296, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Grabiella Berloffa & Maria Luigia Segnana, 2004. "Trade, inequality and pro-poor growth: Two perspectives, one message?," Department of Economics Working Papers 0408, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia. [Downloadable!]
  9. Tarasov, Alexander, 2007. "Income Distribution, Market Structure, and Individual Welfare," MPRA Paper 7682, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Apr 2008. [Downloadable!]
  10. Reto Foellmi & Josef Zweimüller, . "Income Distribution and Demand-induced Innovations," IEW - Working Papers iewwp212, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Margarita Katsimi & Thomas Moutos, 2006. "Inequality and the US Import Demand Function," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  12. Adam, Antonis / Katsimi, Margarita / Moutos, Thomas, 2008. "Inequality and the Import Demand Function," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  13. Yo Chul Choi & David Hummels & Chong Xiang, 2006. "Explaining Import Variety and Quality: The Role of the Income Distribution," NBER Working Papers 12531, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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