IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aea/jecper/v7y1993i3p21-43.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What Does Japanese Trade Structure Tell Us about Japanese Trade Policy?

Author

Listed:
  • Gary R. Saxonhouse

Abstract

Some argue foreign access to Japanese markets remains tightly controlled and that if Japan is to be a member in good standing of the international economic system, Japan must do more than just adhere to the formal rules of the GATT; Japan must show by the results of its international economic transactions that foreign access to its market is not tightly controlled. As this point of view is increasingly dominating American economic diplomacy with Japan, it is particularly important that its premise be examined. First I examine Japan's growth record and trade record. To the extent that Japan's trade performance is different, I explore whether the difference can legitimately be attributed to Japanese policies. This paper finds that neither the price behavior of Japanese firms nor the pattern and volume of what Japan imports or exports suggests that Japan's trade regime is different. Some of Japan's economic institutions may be distinctive but there is little evidence they produce outcomes which distort the international economic system. What remains to be explained is the conviction of so many that Japan is more a parasite than a pillar of the international economic system. The record of economic research directly and indirectly bearing on this issue does not support such a conclusion at all.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary R. Saxonhouse, 1993. "What Does Japanese Trade Structure Tell Us about Japanese Trade Policy?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 21-43, Summer.
  • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:7:y:1993:i:3:p:21-43
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.7.3.21
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.7.3.21
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rey, Patrick & Stiglitz, Joseph, 1988. "Vertical restraints and producers' competition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2-3), pages 561-568, March.
    2. Antonio Aquino, 1978. "Intra-industry trade and inter-industry specialization as concurrent sources of International Trade in manufactures," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 114(2), pages 275-296, June.
    3. Takatoshi Ito & Masayoshi Maruyama, 1991. "Is the Japanese Distribution System Really Inefficient?," NBER Chapters, in: Trade with Japan: Has the Door Opened Wider?, pages 149-174, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Masahiko Aoki, 2013. "Horizontal vs. Vertical Information Structure of the Firm," Chapters, in: Comparative Institutional Analysis, chapter 5, pages 57-58, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Marston, Richard C., 1990. "Pricing to market in Japanese manufacturing," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3-4), pages 217-236, November.
    6. Perry, Martin K., 1989. "Vertical integration: Determinants and effects," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 183-255, Elsevier.
    7. Stern, Robert M. (ed.), 1989. "Trade and Investment Relations among the United States, Canada, and Japan," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226773179, June.
    8. Ito, Takatoshi & Krueger, Anne O. (ed.), 1993. "Trade and Protectionism," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226386683, October.
    9. Motoshige Ito, 1991. "The Japanese Distribution System and Access to the Japanese Market," NBER Chapters, in: Trade with Japan: Has the Door Opened Wider?, pages 175-190, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Kravis, Irving B. & Lipsey, Robert E., 1978. "Price behavior in the light of balance of payments theories," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 193-246, May.
    11. Horiuchi, Akiyoshi & Packer, Frank & Fukuda, Shinichi, 1988. "What role has the "Main Bank" played in Japan?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 159-180, June.
    12. Takatoshi Ito & Anne O. Krueger, 1993. "Trade and Protectionism," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number ito_93-2, October.
    13. Joseph E. Stiglitz, 1987. "Technological Change, Sunk Costs, and Competition," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 18(3, Specia), pages 883-947.
    14. Marcus Noland & Bela Balassa, 1988. "Japan in the World Economy," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 0412, October.
    15. Peter A. Petri, 1991. "Market Structure, Comparative Advantage, and Japanese Trade under the Strong Yen," NBER Chapters, in: Trade with Japan: Has the Door Opened Wider?, pages 51-84, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Marcus Noland, 1997. "Public Policy, Private Preferences, And The Japanese Trade Pattern," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 79(2), pages 259-266, May.
    17. Noland, Marcus, 1995. "Why are prices in Japan so high?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 255-261, September.
    18. Brown, Fred & Whalley, John, 1980. "General Equilibrium Evaluations of Tariff-Cutting Proposals in the Tokyo Round and Comparisons with More Extensive Liberalisation of World Trade," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 90(363), pages 838-866, December.
    19. Peter Hooper & Catherine L. Mann, 1989. "Exchange Rate Pass-through in the 1980s: The Case of U.S. Imports of Manufactures," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 20(1), pages 297-337.
    20. Robert Z. Lawrence, 1987. "Imports in Japan: Closed Markets or Minds?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 18(2), pages 517-554.
    21. Helpman, Elhanan, 1987. "Imperfect competition and international trade: Evidence from fourteen industrial countries," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 62-81, March.
    22. Sam Laird & Alexander Yeats, 1990. "Quantitative Methods for Trade-Barrier Analysis," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-11141-1, June.
    23. R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), 1989. "Handbook of Industrial Organization," Handbook of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 2, number 2.
    24. Gary R. Saxonhouse, 1993. "Economic Growth and Trade Relations: Japanese Performance in Long-Term Perspective," NBER Chapters, in: Trade and Protectionism, pages 149-182, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Honma, Masayoshi & Hayami, Yujiro, 1986. "Structure of agricultural protection in industrial countries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1-2), pages 115-129, February.
    26. Robert E. Baldwin, 1988. "Trade Policy Issues and Empirical Analysis," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number bald88-2, October.
    27. Isard, Peter, 1977. "How Far Can We Push the "Law of One Price"?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(5), pages 942-948, December.
    28. R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), 1989. "Handbook of Industrial Organization," Handbook of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 1, number 1.
    29. K. C. Fung, 1991. "Characteristics of Japanese Industrial Groups and Their Potential Impact on US-Japanese Trade," NBER Chapters, in: Empirical Studies of Commercial Policy, pages 137-168, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Peter Drysdale, 1995. "The Question of Access to the Japanese Market," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 71(3), pages 271-283, September.
    2. Knetter, Michael M., 1997. "Why are retail prices in Japan so high? Evidence from German export prices," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 549-572, August.
    3. Marcus Noland, 1993. "Protectionism in Japan," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 67-81, March.
    4. Andersson, Thomas, 1991. "Approaches to Partnerships Causing Asymmetries Between Japan and the West," Working Paper Series 320, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised Feb 1992.
    5. Kenneth Flamm, 1993. "Semiconductor Dependency and Strategic Trade Policy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 24(1 Microec), pages 249-333.
    6. G. Rossini, 2005. "Pitfalls in private and social incentives of vertical crossborder outsourcing," Working Papers 536, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    7. Braunerhjelm, Pontus & Oxelheim, Lars & Thulin, Per, 2005. "The relationship between domestic and outward foreign direct investment: The role of industry-specific effects," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(6), pages 677-694, December.
    8. Feenstra, Robert C. & Yang, Tzu-Han & Hamilton, Gary G., 1999. "Business groups and product variety in trade: evidence from South Korea, Taiwan and Japan," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 71-100, June.
    9. Spencer, Barbara J & Qiu, Larry D, 2001. "Keiretsu and Relationship-Specific Investment: A Barrier to Trade?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 42(4), pages 871-901, November.
    10. Kotabe, Masaaki & Wheiler, Kent W., 1998. "Perceptions of anticompetitive practices in Japan and the market performance of foreign firms," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 173-200, November.
    11. Cyrenne, Philippe, 1993. "Vertical Integration versus Vertical Separation: An Equilibrium Model," MPRA Paper 28746, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg & Michael M. Knetter, 1997. "Goods Prices and Exchange Rates: What Have We Learned?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(3), pages 1243-1272, September.
    13. Goldberg, Pinelopi Koujianou & Knetter, Michael M., 1999. "Measuring the intensity of competition in export markets," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 27-60, February.
    14. Philip Lowe, 1991. "Resource Convergence and Intra-industry Trade," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp9110, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    15. Scott Bradford, 2000. "Rents, Votes, and Protection: Explaining the Structure of Trade Barriers Across Industries," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 1717, Econometric Society.
    16. Christoph Schlueter-Langdon, 2000. "Information Technology And The Vertical Organization Of Industry," Computing in Economics and Finance 2000 174, Society for Computational Economics.
    17. Emanuela Todeva & Ruslan Rakhmatullin, 2016. "Industry Global Value Chains, Connectivity and Regional Smart Specialisation in Europe. An Overview of Theoretical Approaches and Mapping Methodologies," JRC Research Reports JRC102801, Joint Research Centre (Seville site).
    18. Gert Brunekreeft & David Newbery, 2006. "Should merchant transmission investment be subject to a must-offer provision?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 233-260, November.
    19. Rajeev K. Goel & Ummad Mazhar & James W. Saunoris, 2021. "Identifying the corrupt cog in the wheel: Dimensions of supply chain logistics and cross‐country corruption," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 693-709, December.
    20. G. Rossini, 2004. "Vertical integration in a stochastic framework and a nonsymmetric bargaining equilibrium," Working Papers 527, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

    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:aea:jecper:v:7:y:1993:i:3:p:21-43. 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: Michael P. Albert (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aeaaaea.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.