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A matter of taste: Estimating import price inflation across U.S. income groups

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  • Hottman, Colin J.
  • Monarch, Ryan

Abstract

We estimate import price inflation for different income deciles of U.S. consumers over the years 1998 through 2014. After structurally estimating the parameters of a model capturing non-homotheticity across sectors, we use price data from the universe of foreign establishments exporting goods to the U.S. as well as consumer expenditure information to construct import price indexes. We find that lower income households experienced the most import price inflation, while higher income households experienced the least over our time period.

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  • Hottman, Colin J. & Monarch, Ryan, 2020. "A matter of taste: Estimating import price inflation across U.S. income groups," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:127:y:2020:i:c:s0022199620300970
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2020.103382
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    3. David Autor & David Dorn & Gordon Hanson, 2021. "On the Persistence of the China Shock," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 52(2 (Fall)), pages 381-476.
    4. Kirill Borusyak & Xavier Jaravel, 2018. "The Distributional Effects of Trade: Theory and Evidence from the United States," 2018 Meeting Papers 284, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    5. Dai,Mi & Tanaka,Kiyoyasu, 2024. "Origin of Goods and Unequal Consumer Gains from Trade Liberalization," IDE Discussion Papers 939, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    6. Chang, Pao-Li & Chen, Yi-Fan & Hsu, Wen-Tai, 2022. "Labor Market Participation, Income Distribution, and Welfare Gains from Trade," Economics and Statistics Working Papers 6-2022, Singapore Management University, School of Economics.
    7. Wen-Tai Hsu & Lin Lu & Pierre M. Picard, 2023. "Income inequality, productivity, and international trade," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 76(1), pages 203-249, July.
    8. Helder Ferreira de Mendonça & Natália Ferreira Trigo, 2024. "What is the effect of imported inflation and central bank credibility on the poor and rich?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(21), pages 2520-2543, May.
    9. Colin J. Hottman & Ryan Monarch, 2023. "Who's Most Exposed to International Shocks? Estimating Differences in Import Price Sensitivity across U.S. Demographic Groups," International Finance Discussion Papers 1380, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    10. Colin J. Hottman & Ryan Monarch, 2023. "Who's Most Exposed to International Shocks? Estimating Differences in Import Price Sensitivity across U.S. Demographic Groups," International Finance Discussion Papers 1380, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    11. Mutiu A. Oyinlola & Tirimisiyu F. Oloko & Samuel Orekoya, 2021. "Ratchet Effect in Import Prices – Inflation Rate Nexus," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 335-354, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Import price index; Non-homotheticity; Elasticity of substitution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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