Week 7: Global Markets Flashcards
What is an autarky?
An economically self-sufficient country with no international trade. Quantity bought equals quantity produced.
What is the difference between a domestic market and a world market?
A domestic market exists or occurs within a particular country. A world market is where international trade takes place between importers and exporters.
What is free trade?
No prohibitions, restrictions, or policies that inhibit the amount of a good that can be bought and sold in international markets
What is the situation in the market for a good or service that a country imports when moving from autarky to free trade?
The autarky price of the good is greater than its world price, so the country has a comparative disadvantage in producing it. Price in the domestic market will decrease to the world price and the country will import the good.
What happens to the quantities bought and produced in a market with imports?
Quantity demanded by domestic consumers increases and the quantity supplied by domestic firms decreases. The excess demand is met by importing the good from foreign suppliers.
What is the situation in the market for a good or service that a country exports when moving from autarky to free trade?
The autarky of the good is smaller than its world price, so the country has a comparative advantage in producing it. Price in the domestic market will increase to the world price and the country will export the good.
What happens to the quantities bought and produced in a market with exports?
Quantity demanded by domestic consumers decreases and quantity supplied by domestic firms increases. The excess supply is met by exporting the good to foreign buyers.
How do we determine the welfare effects of allowing free trade in the domestic market?
Measure the gains and losses from imports/exports by examining their effect on consumer surplus, producer surplus, and total surplus. Compare the surpluses enjoyed by domestic participants under autarky and under free trade.
What are the gains and losses from imports?
Increase in quantity bought expands the domestic consumer surplus and decrease in quantity supplied shrinks the domestic producer surplus. Gains to domestic consumers (part of which is transferred from producers) exceeds losses of domestic producers. Net gain increases total surplus.
What are the gains and losses from exports?
Decrease in quantity bought shrinks the domestic consumer surplus and increase in quantity supplied expands the domestic producer surplus. Gains to domestic producers (part of which is transferred from consumers) exceeds losses of domestic consumers. Net gain increases total surplus.
Why is the net gain from international trade positive?
Both imports (lower price and increased purchases) and exports (higher price and increased production) bring gains. One country’s exports are other countries’ imports so international trade brings gain for all countries.
What are international trade restrictions?
Policies used to influence international trade and protect domestic industries from foreign competition.
What is a tariff?
Tax imposed by an importing country when an imported good enters the country
What is the difference between an ad valorem tariff and a specific tariff?
a) Ad valorem tariff- tax rate charged is a percentage of the price of the product being imported
b) Specific tariff- tax rate charged is a fixed amount per quantity of the good imported
What are the effects of imposing a constant-per-unit tariff on an imported good?
a) Price of the good increases by the full amount of the tariff (buyer pays entire tariff because supply from the rest of the world is perfectly elastic)
b) Decrease in purchases/quantity demanded so consumer surplus falls
c) Increase in domestic production/quantity supplied so producer surplus increases
d) Decrease in imports
e) Government gains tariff revenue so government surplus rises (amount of tariff x amount of imports)