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Product Variety, Scale Economies, and Environmental Taxes

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  • Vetter Henrik

    () (Statsbiblioteket)

Abstract

We discuss how efficiently a unit tax deals with external damage problems when economies of scale characterize a monopolistically competitive market in which consumers' value product variety. It turns out that neither the number of varieties nor the quantity of each variety is at the optimum under a unit tax. Moreover, aggregate production costs are not minimized under a unit tax. For practical policy purposes, some results suggest that a Pigouvian tax can replace a tax taking into account monopoly. Our findings make this conclusion false when the number of firms is endogenous.

Suggested Citation

  • Vetter Henrik, 2009. "Product Variety, Scale Economies, and Environmental Taxes," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejtec:v:9:y:2009:i:1:n:18
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Spence, 1976. "Product Selection, Fixed Costs, and Monopolistic Competition," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(2), pages 217-235.
    2. Allanson, Paul & Montagna, Catia, 2005. "Multiproduct firms and market structure: An explorative application to the product life cycle," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(7-8), pages 587-597, September.
    3. Hart, Oliver D, 1985. "Monopolistic Competition in the Spirit of Chamberlin: Special Results," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 95(380), pages 889-908, December.
    4. Barnett, A H, 1980. "The Pigouvian Tax Rule under Monopoly," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(5), pages 1037-1041, December.
    5. Dennis W. Carlton & Glenn C. Loury, 1980. "The Limitations of Pigouvian Taxes as a Long-Run Remedy for Externalities," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 95(3), pages 559-566.
    6. Oates, Wallace E. & Strassmann, Diana L., 1984. "Effluent fees and market structure," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 29-46, June.
    7. Oliver D. Hart, 1985. "Monopolistic Competition in the Spirit of Chamberlin: A General Model," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 52(4), pages 529-546.
    8. Buchanan, James M, 1969. "External Diseconomies, Corrective Taxes, and Market Structure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(1), pages 174-177, March.
    9. Spulber, Daniel F., 1985. "Effluent regulation and long-run optimality," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 103-116, June.
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