BEC-International &a remaining economic concepts Flashcards
International Economics Defined
Study of economic activity that occurs across national boundaries.
Absolute advantage Defined
Ability of a county, business or individual to produce a good or provide a service more efficiently than another entity.
*more efficiently = with fewer “input” resources
Comparative advantage Defined
Ability of one country, business or individual to produce a good or provide a service with lower opportunity cost than another entity.
*derive from differences in availability of resources and technology among entities.
To maximize output (considering comparative advantage)
Entities should specialize in the goods or services they provide at the least opportunity cost.
Entities should trade with other entities for goods and services for which they do not have a comparative advantage.
Principle of Comparative Advantage
The total output of two or more entities will be greatest when each produces the goods or services for which it has the lowest opportunity cost and they engage in trade with each other.
Porter’s Four Attributes of National Advantage
- Factor Endowment (advantages in factors of production–land, labor, infrastructure, etc.)
- Demand Conditions (nature of domestic demand for a good or service)
- Relating and supporting industries (extent to which supplier and related industries are internationally competitive)
- Firm strategy, structure and rivalry (hot entities are created, organized, managed and how they compete)
Porter’s Four Outcomes that given national advantage
- availability of resources and skills
- Information used to determine which opportunities to peruse with resources and skills
- Goals of individuals within entities
- Pressures on entities to innovate and invest.
Socio-Political Issues
Central Claim: International economic activity causes or exacerbates domestic social and economic problems. Ex: increased domestic unemployment
Responses to socio-political issues
- Import quotas = restrict the quantity of goods that can be imported – INAPPROPRIATE
- Import tariffs = taxes on imported goods that increases cost in domestic market – INAPPROPRIATE
- Training/Retraining
- Research and Development Support
- Improved Infrastructure
Currency Exchange Rate
Price of one unit of a country’s currency expressed in units of another country’s currency.
Lower the domestic currency is relative to a foreign currency the better
Balance of Trade
Difference between money value of imports and exports
Exports > Imports = trade surplus
Exports < Imports = trade deficit
Element of a country’s balance of payments accounting with other countries
Balance of Payments
Summary accounting of US base transactions with all other countries during a period of time
Balance of payment accounts: (3)
- Current account
- Capital account
- Financial account
Current Account Defined
Net dollar value for a period of:
•amounts earned from export of goods and services
•amounts spent on import of goods and services
•net factor flow (income) from foreign investments-dividends & interest
•net factor flow from foreign aid and grants
Sum of all = NET BALANCE
Capital Account Defined
Net dollar value for period of:
•Inflows from investments and loans by foreign entities
•Outflows from investments and loans by US entities made abroad
*Reflects net change in foreign ownership of US assets and US ownership of foreign assets
If foreign investment in US > US Investment abroad = surplus for period
Financial Account Defined
Net dollar amount of:
•US owned assets located abroad
•Foreign owned assets in the US
*shows accumulated amount of investments:
•both government and private
•monetary (gold, securities, etc.) and non-monetary (P,P&E)
Surplus = sum of earnings and inflows sum of spending and outflows
Deficit = sum of spending and outflows exceeds sum of earnings and inflows
Deficit Balance of Payments
Import balance of payments = Imports and foreign investment by US entities > exports and investment by foreign entities in U
Causes greater demand for foreign currency than dollars.
Direct exchange rate Defined
Domestic price of one unit of a foreign currency
1 Euro = $1.10
“D”irect = “D”omestic price
Indirect exchange rate Defined
Foreign price of one unit of a domestic currency
$1.00 = .909 Euro ($1.00/$1.10)
2 major ways exchange rates are determined:
- Free-floating currency – exchange rate is determined by market forces of supply and demand for a currency. (Ex: currency is treated like a commodity) * most industrialized nations have this form
- Pegged or Movable currency – exchange rate is fixed by the government, with frequent revisions.
Currency Supply is determined by
A country’s central bank
Ex: the Federal Reserve Bank for the US determines currency supply through monetary policy.
Currency Appreciation Defined
The vale of a currency increases (becomes stronger) relative to another currency
•it takes less domestic currency to buy foreign currency or goods sold in that currency.
Currency Depreciation Defined
The value of a currency decreases (becomes weaker) relative to another currency.
•it takes more domestic currency to buy foreign currency or goods sold in that currency.
Consequences of Currency Appreciation
- Foreign goods become cheaper for domestic buyers
- Encourages increased domestic efficiencies-in order to compete
- Puts downward pressure on domestic inflation-by keeping prices low
- Makes it difficult for domestic producers to compete in domestic and foreign market
Consequences of Currency Depreciation
- Domestic goods become cheaper relative to foreign goods, which increases exports
- Increased exports increases domestic employment
- Imported goods become more expensive
- Drives up cost of foreign inputs-raw materials, components, etc., as well as consumer goods.
Freely fluctuating exchange rates
Automatically correct a lack of equilibrium in the balance of payments.
Spot Exchange Rate Defined
The exchange rate between currencies for immediate delivery (exchange); the rate “on the spot”.
Forward Exchange Rate Defined
The exchange rate between currencies existing at the present for future delivery (exchange).
Exchange Rate Discount or Premium Defined
The difference at a point in time between the spot Exchange Rate and the forward exchange rate for two currencies.
Transaction Risk Defined
The possible unfavorable impact of changes in currency exchange rates on transactions that are denominated in a foreign currency.
“Denominated” Defined
The transaction is carried out in a foreign currency, not the dollar.
3 ways for a firm to mitigate transaction risk
- MATCHING - incur equal payables and receivables in the same currency for offsetting effects; a loss on one would be offset by a gain on the other.
- LEADING/LAGGING PAYMENTS and COLLECTIONS - paying obligations or collecting receivables earlier or later than otherwise to avoid exchange rate changes.
- HEDGING - using offsetting or contra transactions so that a loss on one would be offset by a gain on the other.
Hedging Defined
A risk management strategy that involves using offsetting or contra transactions so that a loss on one would be offset by a gain on the other.
Foreign Currency Hedging Defined
The hedge of exposure to changes n the dollar value of assets, liabilities or planned transactions to be settled (denominated) in a foreign currency.