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The curse and blessing of fixed specific factors in small-open economies

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  • Guillo, Maria Dolores
  • Perez-Sebastian, Fidel

Abstract

This paper investigates how a country's specific-factors endowment affects its long-run economic performance. We build an open-economy version of the two-sector neoclassical growth model in which we introduce fixed industry-specific inputs in both activities. The model predicts the type of international factor-price equalization found by Trefler (1993). We show that, under factor price equalization, differences in input shares between sectors that only use mobile factors and industries that employ fixed specific inputs can explain why nations that seem to have similar factor endowments can show very different income levels. In particular, larger amounts of factors specific to the industry with a lower (larger) labor share lead the economy to enjoy larger (smaller) long-run income levels. The model can also account for overtaking episodes between countries along their development paths.
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  • Guillo, Maria Dolores & Perez-Sebastian, Fidel, 2007. "The curse and blessing of fixed specific factors in small-open economies," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 58-78, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:82:y:2007:i:1:p:58-78
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Dolores Guillo & Fidel Perez-Sebastian, 2015. "Convergence in a Dynamic Heckscher–Ohlin Model with Land," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(3), pages 725-734, August.
    2. Guilló, Maria Dolores & Perez-Sebastian, Fidel, 2015. "Neoclassical growth and the natural resource curse puzzle," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 423-435.
    3. Kylymnyuk Dmytro & Maliar Lilia & Maliar Serguei, 2007. "Rich, Poor and Growth-Miracle Nations: Multiple Equilibria Revisited," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 7(1), pages 1-44, August.
    4. Iain Fraser & Robert Waschik, 2010. "The Double Dividend Hypothesis in a CGE Model: Specific Factors and Variable Labour Supply," Working Papers 2010.02, School of Economics, La Trobe University.
    5. Dmytro Kylymnyuk & Lilia Maliar & Serguei Maliar, 2007. "A model of unbalanced sectorial growth with application to transition economies," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 309-325, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies

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