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The effect of low-wage import competition on U.S. inflationary pressure

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  • Auer, Raphael
  • Fischer, Andreas M.

Abstract

The effect of import competition from low-wage countries on U.S. inflationary pressure is estimated using a new methodology that identifies the causal response of prices to comparative advantage-induced supply shocks in these nations. The results of a panel covering 325 manufacturing industries from 1997 to 2006 show that imports from nine low-wage countries are associated with strong downward pressure on prices. When these nations capture a 1% share of the U.S. sector, the sector's producer prices decrease by 2.35%. Because import competition also influences the skewness of the distribution of price changes, it is likely to have impacted U.S. equilibrium inflation.

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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Monetary Economics.

Volume (Year): 57 (2010)
Issue (Month): 4 (May)
Pages: 491-503

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Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:57:y:2010:i:4:p:491-503
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505566

Keywords: Low-wage country import competition Comparative advantage Globalization;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
  • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
  • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions

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  1. Imports from Low-Wage Nations and US Inflation
    by Mark Thoma in Economist's View on 2008-06-13 07:24:00
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