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Mutual Recognition versus National Treatment of Standards in a Classical Monopoly or Oligopoly

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  • T. Huw Edwards

Abstract

We examine strategic biases in the international regulation of monopolistic or oligopolistic industries, where a minimum vertical quality standard is imposed on a classical monopoly or duopoly, to correct an undersupply of quality. This differs from Hotelling-based studies, where the aim of minimum quality standards is to correct excessive product differentiation. It also allows examination of unbalanced trade, not considered in previous work. Noncooperative regulators tend to overregulate for profit-shifting reasons, though only when producers can vary standards across countries. However, even in this latter case, mutual recognition is only unambiguously welfare-improving when trade is balanced, and it reduces trade flows when quality is taken into account.

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  • T. Huw Edwards, 2012. "Mutual Recognition versus National Treatment of Standards in a Classical Monopoly or Oligopoly," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 168(3), pages 455-487, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:jinste:urn:sici:0932-4569(201209)168:3_455:mrvnto_2.0.tx_2-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Huw Edwards & Joanna Poyago-Theotoky, 2013. "Regulatory Protection When Firms Decide First on Technical Collaboration and R&D," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 750-764, September.
    2. Difei Geng, 2024. "Tariffs, product standards, and national treatment at the WTO," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(3), pages 1105-1133, July.
    3. Difei Geng & Doyoung Park, 2023. "Harmonizing welfare and externalities: unraveling the product versus process standards puzzle in regulatory policy," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 43(3), pages 1320-1327.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • C70 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - General

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