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Cost asymmetry, oligopolistic competition and optimal trade and industrial policies

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  • Winston Chang
  • Hajime Sugeta

Abstract

Optimal trade and industrial policies are examined in an export-rivalry and a home-market model with general cost heterogeneity among firms. The roles of the demand and cost structures in policy determination are systematically analysed. It is shown that the equal-markup property holds in both models under the firm-specific industrial policy. A more efficient firm has a higher subsidy or a lower tax rate than an inefficient one. In the home market model under free trade, the firm-specific industrial policy always calls for subsidies to all home firms. Under the firm-specific trade policy, it is shown that the difference between any two tariff rates exactly equals 100% of the difference between the foreign firms' marginal costs, the home industry is always granted some positive level of protection, and a production-tax-cum-import-subsidy policy is never optimal.

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  • Winston Chang & Hajime Sugeta, 2005. "Cost asymmetry, oligopolistic competition and optimal trade and industrial policies," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 95-114.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:intecj:v:19:y:2005:i:1:p:95-114
    DOI: 10.1080/1351161042000320416
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Naoto Jinji & Tsuyoshi Toshimitsu, 2014. "Strategic Investment Subsidies under Asymmetric Oligopoly," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 490-501, August.

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