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The three faces of factor intensities

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  • Jones, Ronald W.
  • Beladi, Hamid
  • Marjit, Sugata

Abstract

The concept of factor intensity has played a key role in the development of international trade theory. The factor proportions utilized in the production of commodities differ from activity to activity. Some commodities employ a higher ratio of capital to labor than do others, and the basic Heckscher-Ohlin Theorem explaining the pattern of international trade links a nations's factor endowment proportions of capital to labor to the capital/labor factor intensities of its export activities. This theorem has been exhaustively analyzed to reveal that exceptions may occur when technologies exhibit factor-intensity reversals, when demand conditions are highly asymmetric between countries, or when the number of factors and commodities exceeds the frequently-assumed value two. Our remarks in this paper proceed along different lines. We argue that in explaining the link between factor intensities associated with a nation's exports, imports or non-traded activities and that nation's factor endowment base, at least three rather separate roles for factor intensities can be identified. Once this is done, paradoxical statements such as, "Exports from laborabundant countries are capital intensive", can be shown to have some validity. Furthermore, in explaining this position recourse is had to various characteristics of technology and trade which have been in the forefront of recent developments in trade theory, e.g., quality differences in an intra-industry setting, increasing returns to scale activities, uncertainty in production, and the role of services in trade.
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Suggested Citation

  • Jones, Ronald W. & Beladi, Hamid & Marjit, Sugata, 1999. "The three faces of factor intensities," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 413-420, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:48:y:1999:i:2:p:413-420
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leamer, Edward E, 1980. "The Leontief Paradox, Reconsidered," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(3), pages 495-503, June.
    2. Ronald W. Jones, 2018. "The Structure of Simple General Equilibrium Models," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade Theory and Competitive Models Features, Values, and Criticisms, chapter 4, pages 61-84, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Borcherding, Thomas E & Silberberg, Eugene, 1978. "Shipping the Good Apples Out: The Alchian and Allen Theorem Reconsidered," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(1), pages 131-138, February.
    4. Jones, Ronald W, 1974. "The Small Country in a Many-Commodity World," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(23), pages 225-236, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chakrabarti, Avik, 2004. "Asymmetric adjustment costs in simple general equilibrium models," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 63-73, February.
    2. Marjit, Sugata & Yang, Lei, 2020. "An Elementary Theorem on Gains from Virtual Trade," MPRA Paper 104088, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Hamid Beladi & Avik Chakrabarti & Sugata Marjit, 2010. "Skilled‐Unskilled Wage Inequality And Urban Unemployment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(4), pages 997-1007, October.
    4. Marjit, Sugata, 2007. "Trade theory and the role of time zones," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 153-160.
    5. Douglas A. Irwin, 2000. "Ohlin Versus Stolper-Samuelson?," NBER Working Papers 7641, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Sugata Marjit & Lei Yang, 2020. "An Elementary Theorem on Gains from Virtual Trade," Working Papers 2046, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

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