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International fuel tax assessment: an application to Chile

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  • Parry, Ian
  • Strand, Jon

Abstract

Gasoline and diesel fuel are heavily taxed in many developed and some emerging and developing countries. Outside the United States and Europe, however, there has been little attempt to quantify the external costs of vehicle use, so policy makers lack guidance on whether prevailing tax rates are economically efficient. This paper develops a general approach for estimating motor vehicle externalities, and hence corrective taxes on gasoline and diesel, based on pooling local data with extrapolations from US evidence. The analysis is illustrated for the case of Chile, although it could be applied to other countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Parry, Ian & Strand, Jon, 2012. "International fuel tax assessment: an application to Chile," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(2), pages 127-144, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:endeec:v:17:y:2012:i:02:p:127-144_00
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    5. Alatorre, José Eduardo & Ferrer, Jimy & Galindo, Luis Miguel & Reyes, Orlando & Samaniego, Joseluis, 2016. "Cambio climático, políticas públicas y demanda de energía y gasolinas en América Latina: un meta-análisis," Documentos de Proyectos 40841, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    6. Navajas, Fernando H. & Panadeiros, Monica & Natale, Oscar, 2011. "Environmentally Related Energy Taxes in Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay," MPRA Paper 37829, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Nano Barahona & Francisco A Gallego & Juan-Pablo Montero, 2020. "Vintage-Specific Driving Restrictions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 87(4), pages 1646-1682.
    8. Benjamin Jones & Michael Keen & Jon Strand, 2013. "Fiscal implications of climate change," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(1), pages 29-70, February.
    9. Rizzi, Luis Ignacio & De La Maza, Cristobal, 2017. "The external costs of private versus public road transport in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 123-140.
    10. Benedict Clements & David Coady & Stefania Fabrizio & Sanjeev Gupta & Baoping Shang, 2014. "Energy subsidies: How large are they and how can they be reformed?," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    11. Antón-Sarabia, Arturo & Hernández-Trillo, Fausto, 2014. "Optimal gasoline tax in developing, oil-producing countries: The case of Mexico," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 564-571.
    12. Santos, Georgina, 2017. "Road fuel taxes in Europe: Do they internalize road transport externalities?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 120-134.
    13. Parry, Ian W.H., 2012. "Reforming the tax system to promote environmental objectives: An application to Mauritius," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 103-112.
    14. Pavón, Nicolás & Rizzi, Luis Ignacio, 2019. "Road infrastructure and public bus transport service provision under different funding schemes: A simulation analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 89-105.
    15. Mathieu-Bolh, Nathalie, 2017. "Can tax reforms help achieve sustainable development?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 135-163.
    16. Tirachini, Alejandro & Proost, Stef, 2021. "Transport taxes and subsidies in developing countries: The effect of income inequality aversion," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    17. Michelle Harding & Chiara Martini & Alastair Thomas, 2014. "Taxing Energy Use in the OECD," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    18. Claudia N. Berg & Uwe Deichmann & Yishen Liu & Harris Selod, 2017. "Transport Policies and Development," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(4), pages 465-480, April.
    19. Ian W.H. Parry & Mr. John Norregaard & Mr. Dirk Heine, 2012. "Environmental Tax Reform: Principles from Theory and Practice to Date," IMF Working Papers 2012/180, International Monetary Fund.
    20. Francisco Gallego & Juan-Pablo Montero & Hernán Barahona, 2016. "Adopting a Cleaner Technology: The Effect of Driving Restrictions on Fleet Turnover," Documentos de Trabajo 469, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    21. Börjesson, Maria & Asplund, Disa & Hamilton, Carl, 2023. "Optimal kilometre tax for electric vehicles," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 52-64.
    22. Seedah, Dan P.K. & Muckelston, Joshua C. & Harrison, Robert, 2013. "Truck Use on Texas Toll Roads," Journal of the Transportation Research Forum, Transportation Research Forum, vol. 52(1).
    23. Basso, Leonardo J. & Montero, Juan-Pablo & Sepúlveda, Felipe, 2021. "A practical approach for curbing congestion and air pollution: Driving restrictions with toll and vintage exemptions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 330-352.
    24. Alex L. Marten & Elizabeth A. Kopits & Charles W. Griffiths & Stephen C. Newbold & Ann Wolverton, 2015. "Incremental CH 4 and N 2 O mitigation benefits consistent with the US Government's SC-CO 2 estimates," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 272-298, March.
    25. Tirkaso, Wondmagegn Tafesse & Gren, Ing-Marie, 2020. "Road fuel demand and regional effects of carbon taxes in Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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