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(Unintended) Consequences of export restrictions on medical goods during the Covid-19 pandemic

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Listed:
  • Marco Grassia
  • Giuseppe Mangioni
  • Stefano Schiavo
  • Silvio Traverso

Abstract

In the first half of 2020, several countries have responded to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic by restricting their export of medical supplies. Such measures are meant to increase the domestic availability of critical goods, and are commonly used in times of crisis. Yet, not much is known about their impact, especially on countries imposing them. Here we show that export bans are, by and large, counterproductive. Using a model of shock diffusion through the network of international trade, we simulate the impact of restrictions under different scenarios. We observe that while they would be beneficial to a country implementing them in isolation, their generalized use makes most countries worse off relative to a no-ban scenario. As a corollary, we estimate that prices increase in many countries imposing the restrictions. We also find that the cost of restraining from export bans is small, even when others continue to implement them. Finally, we document a change in countries' position within the international trade network, suggesting that export bans have geopolitical implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Grassia & Giuseppe Mangioni & Stefano Schiavo & Silvio Traverso, 2020. "(Unintended) Consequences of export restrictions on medical goods during the Covid-19 pandemic," Papers 2007.11941, arXiv.org.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2007.11941
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Espitia,Alvaro & Rocha,Nadia & Ruta,Michele, 2020. "Covid-19 and Food Protectionism : The Impact of the Pandemic and Export Restrictions on World Food Markets," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9253, The World Bank.
    8. Tiziano Distefano & Francesco Laio & Luca Ridolfi & Stefano Schiavo, 2018. "Shock transmission in the International Food Trade Network," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, August.
    9. Luiz G. A. Alves & Giuseppe Mangioni & Isabella Cingolani & Francisco A. Rodrigues & Pietro Panzarasa & Yamir Moreno, 2018. "The nested structural organization of the worldwide trade multi-layer network," Papers 1803.02872, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2019.
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    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Economics of Welfare > Health Economics > Economics of Pandemics > Specific pandemics > Covid-19 > Trade and Globalization

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