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Task Trade between Similar Countries

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Author Info
Gene M. Grossman
Esteban Rossi-Hansberg

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Abstract

We propose a theory of task trade between countries that have similar relative factor endowments but may differ in size. Firms produce differentiated goods by performing a continuum of tasks, each of which generates local spillovers. Tasks can be performed at home or abroad, but offshoring entails costs that vary by task. In equilibrium, the tasks with the highest offshoring costs may not be traded. Among the remainder, those with the relatively higher offshoring costs are performed in the country that has the higher wage and higher aggregate output. We discuss the relationship between equilibrium wages, equilibrium outputs, and relative country size and examine how the pattern of specialization reflects the key parameters of the model.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 14554.

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Date of creation: Dec 2008
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14554

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies
F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

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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.:
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    Other versions:
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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. Nilsson Hakkala, Katariina & Heyman, Fredrik & Sjöholm, Fredrik, 2008. "Multinational Firms and Job Tasks," Working Paper Series 781, Research Institute of Industrial Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Gene M. Grossman & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2008. "External Economies and International Trade Redux," NBER Working Papers 14425, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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