IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ris/actuec/v74y1998i3p381-413.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Les leçons du mariage entre les modèles d’équilibre général calculable et la nouvelle théorie du commerce international

Author

Listed:
  • Cockburn, John

    (Centre de recherche en économie et finance appliquées (CRÉFA), Université Laval)

  • Decaluwé, Bernard

    (Centre de recherche en économie et finance appliquées (CRÉFA), Université Laval)

  • Dostie, Benoît

    (Centre de recherche en économie et finance appliquées (CRÉFA), Université Laval)

Abstract

The new trade theory shows that taking into account imperfect competition and economies of scale can drastically modify our predictions concerning the impact of trade policy. However, despite the apparent importance of these phenomena and the extent of current trade liberalization in developing countries, there are extremely few empirical trade analyses which consider them. Further, we find that the principal exception to this rule is a study that contains a modelling inconsistency leading to a considerable overestimation of the pro-competitive effects of trade liberalization. We present in detail the theoretical foundations and the procedure to follow in consistently modelling imperfect competition in a traditional computable general equilibrium trade model. An illustration is then provided through an analysis of Tunisian trade policy options which indicates that very limited pro-competitive effects are to be expected from trade liberalization. La nouvelle théorie du commerce international démontre que la présence de concurrence imparfaite et d’économies d’échelle peut modifier de manière radicale les impacts de politiques commerciales. Toutefois, malgré l’ampleur apparente de ces deux phénomènes dans les pays en développement et les réformes commerciales qui y sont présentement appliquées, très rares sont les études empiriques qui en tiennent compte. De plus, nous montrons que la principale étude qui fait exception contient une incohérence de modélisation qui mène à une surestimation considérable de l’effet dit procompétitif de la libéralisation commerciale. Nous présentons en détail les fondements théoriques et la procédure à suivre pour une intégration cohérente de la concurrence imparfaite dans un modèle traditionnel d’équilibre général calculable. Le fonctionnement du modèle est ensuite illustré à travers une application à la Tunisie, application qui indique que l’effet procompétitif à espérer de la libéralisation commerciale y est faible.

Suggested Citation

  • Cockburn, John & Decaluwé, Bernard & Dostie, Benoît, 1998. "Les leçons du mariage entre les modèles d’équilibre général calculable et la nouvelle théorie du commerce international," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 74(3), pages 381-413, septembre.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:actuec:v:74:y:1998:i:3:p:381-413
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/602268ar
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brown, D.K., 1993. "Properties of Applied General Equilibrium Trade Models with Monopolistic Competition and Foreign Direct Investment," Working Papers 321, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan.
    2. Jaime de Melo & David Roland-Holst, 2015. "An Evaluation of Neutral Trade Policy Incentives Under Increasing Returns to Scale," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 17, pages 367-383, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Devarajan, Shantayanan & Rodrik, Dani, 1989. "Trade Liberalization in Developing Countries: Do Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies Matter?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(2), pages 283-287, May.
    4. Jaime de Melo & David Roland-Holst, 2015. "Industrial Organization and Trade Liberalization: Evidence from Korea," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 18, pages 385-404, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Rodrik, Rani, 1995. "Trade and industrial policy reform," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Hollis Chenery & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 45, pages 2925-2982, Elsevier.
    6. Harris, Richard, 1984. "Applied General Equilibrium Analysis of Small Open Economies with Scale Economies and Imperfect Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(5), pages 1016-1032, December.
    7. Devarajan, Shantayanan & Rodrik, Dani, 1991. "Pro-competitive effects of trade reform : Results from a CGE model of Cameroon," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 1157-1184, July.
    8. Little, I M D, 1987. "Small Manufacturing Enterprises in Developing Countries," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 1(2), pages 203-235, January.
    9. Tybout, James R, 1993. "Internal Returns to Scale as a," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(2), pages 440-444, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lucke, Bernd & Zotti, Jacopo, 2016. "Macroeconomic effects of the Barcelona Initiative," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 837-854.
    2. Haykel HADJ SALEM, 2001. "Impacts of the Euro-Tunisian Agreements of Free Exchange: Evaluation by a Computable General Equilibrium Model in 1996," Middle East and North Africa 330400034, EcoMod.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4936 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:dau:papers:123456789/1696 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Homma, Takashi & Kosugi, Takanobu & Mori, Shunsuke & Akimoto, Keigo & Yamamoto, Hiromi, 2004. "Development of a multi regional, multi sector economy-energy model for the assessments of climate change policy," Conference papers 331227, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    6. Marijke Kuiper, 2004. "Fifty ways to leave your protection: comparing applied models of the Euro-Mediterannean association agreements," ENARPRI Working Papers 006, ENARPRI (European Network of Agricultural and Rural Policy Research Institutes).
    7. Fida Karam, 2011. "Trade Liberalization and the Skill Composition of Migrant Flows: the Case of Morocco," Working Papers 595, Economic Research Forum, revised 07 Jan 2011.

    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. Jaime de Melo & David Roland-Holst, 2015. "Industrial Organization and Trade Liberalization: Evidence from Korea," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 18, pages 385-404, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Willenbockel, Dirk, 2004. "Specification choice and robustness in CGE trade policy analysis with imperfect competition," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 1065-1099, December.
    3. Sylvain Chabe-Ferret & Julien Gourdon & Mohamed Ali Marouani & Tancrède Voituriez, 2007. "Trade-Induced Changes in Economic Inequality: Assessment Issues and Policy Implications for Developing Countries," Working Papers DT/2007/11, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    4. Mark J. Roberts & James R. Tybout, 1991. "Size Rationalization and Trade Exposure in Developing Countries," NBER Chapters, in: Empirical Studies of Commercial Policy, pages 169-200, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Ping-Kun HSU, 2009. "Service Oligopolies and Economy-wide Performance in Taiwan: A CGE Analysis," EcoMod2009 21500040, EcoMod.
    6. Kaludura Abayasiri-Silva & Mark Horridge, 1998. "The Effects of Current Fiscal Restraint on the Australian Economy: an Applied General Equilibrium Analysis with Imperfect Competition," Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre Working Papers op-91, Victoria University, Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre.
    7. Cockburn, John & Decaluwe, Bernard & Dostie, Benoît, 1998. "Les leçons du mariage entre les modèles d'équilibre général calculable et la nouvelle théorie du commerce international: application à la Tunisie," Cahiers de recherche 9804, Université Laval - Département d'économique.
    8. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4331 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Lopez, Ramon, 1995. "Synergy and investment efficiency effects of trade and labor market distortions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1321-1344, August.
    10. Jaime de Melo & David Tarr, 2015. "VERs under imperfect competition and foreign direct investment: A case study of the US–Japan auto VER," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 22, pages 461-483, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    11. Lewis, Jeffrey D. & Robinson, Sherman & Wang, Zhi, 1995. "Beyond the Uruguay Round: The implications of an Asian free trade area," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 35-90.
    12. Dirk Willenbockel, 2005. "The Price Normalisation Problem in General Equilibriun Models with Oligopoly Power: An Attempt at Perspective," GE, Growth, Math methods 0505002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Kaludura Abayasiri-Silva & Mark Horridge, 1998. "Economies of Scale and Imperfect Competition in an Applied General Equilibrium Model of the Australian Economy," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Kenneth J. Arrow & Yew-Kwang Ng & Xiaokai Yang (ed.), Increasing Returns and Economic Analysis, chapter 14, pages 307-334, Palgrave Macmillan.
    14. Delfin Go & Marna Kearney & Vijdan Korman & Sherman Robinson & Karen Thierfelder, 2010. "Wage Subsidy and Labour Market Flexibility in South Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(9), pages 1481-1502.
    15. Mercenier, J. & Schmitt, N., 1992. "Sunk Costs, Free-Entry Equilibrium and Trade Liberalization in Applied General Equilibrium : Implication for "Europe 1992"," Cahiers de recherche 9235, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
    16. Traca, Daniel A., 2002. "Imports as competitive discipline: the role of the productivity gap," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 1-21, October.
    17. Shantayanan Devarajan & Delfin S. Go & Csilla Lakatos & Sherman Robinson & Karen Thierfelder, 2021. "Traders' dilemma: Developing countries' response to trade wars," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 856-878, April.
    18. T. Condon & J. de Melo, 2015. "Industrial Organization Implications of QR Trade Regimes: Evidence and Welfare Costs," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 19, pages 405-419, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    19. James R. Tybout, 2000. "Manufacturing Firms in Developing Countries: How Well Do They Do, and Why?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(1), pages 11-44, March.
    20. Shehabi, Manal, 2022. "Modeling long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and oil price declines on Gulf oil economies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    21. Antônio Carvalho Campos & Angelo Costa Gurgel, 2004. "Avaliação De Políticas Comerciais Em Modelos De Equilíbrio Geral Com Pressuposições Alternativas Quanto Aos Retornos À Escala," Anais do XXXII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 32nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 106, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].

    More about this item

    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:ris:actuec:v:74:y:1998:i:3:p:381-413. 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: Benoit Dostie (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/scseeea.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.