Dynamic Effects of Industrial Policies Amidst Geoeconomic Tensions

Amid ongoing geoeconomic tensions, industrial policy has emerged as a prominent tool for policymakers. What are the dynamic and welfare effects of these policies? How does the short-sightedness of policymakers influence their choice of instruments? What are the distributional consequences of these protectionist measures? We address these questions with a dynamic two-country general equilibrium framework that incorporates ï¬ rm heterogeneity, trade, and the offshoring of tasks. By calibrating the model to the contexts of the US and China, we explore the effects of three popular industrial policies: import tariffs, domestic production subsidies, and entry subsidies. Our findings indicate that, from an initial state free of interventions, myopic policymakers are incentivized to subsidize production, while more forward-looking ones favor imposing import tariffs. Although all of these policies initially reduce wage inequality, some result in aggregate welfare losses, either in the short run or the long run.