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Offshoring: General Equilibrium Effects on Wages, Production and Trade

Author

Listed:
  • Richard Baldwin

    (Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva and CEPR)

  • Frederic Robert-Nicoud

    (LSE)

Abstract

A simple model of offshoring, which depicts offshoring as "shadow migration", permits harsimonious derivation of necessary and sufficient conditions for the effects on wages, prices, production and trade. We show that offshoring requires modification of the four classic international trade theorems. We also show that offshoring is an independent source of comparative advantage and can lead to intra-industry trade in a Walrasian setting. The model is extended to allow for two-way offshoring between similar nations and to allow for monopolistic competition. We also show that, unlike trade in goods, trade in tasks typically makes all types of workers better off in both the host and home countries (with some proviso).

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Baldwin & Frederic Robert-Nicoud, 2008. "Offshoring: General Equilibrium Effects on Wages, Production and Trade," Development Working Papers 250, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
  • Handle: RePEc:csl:devewp:250
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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