IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/canjec/v42y2009i3p882-899.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trade taxes and international investment

Author

Listed:
  • Emily J. Blanchard

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that international investment disturbs the conventionally understood equivalence between import tariffs and export taxes. Fundamentally, remittances to foreigners introduce an additional pecuniary channel between countries so that two‐good Lerner Symmetry generally will not hold. Moreover, because tariffs subsidize investors in the local import competing sector while export taxes can extract rent from foreign investors in the export sector, the pattern of international investment will influence government preferences over trade policy instruments as well as levels. Notably, trade tax symmetry is restored by introducing a third policy tool in the form of a direct a tax on international remittances. Ce mémoire montre que l'investissement international bouscule l'équivalence canonique présumée entre tarifs à l'importation et taxe à l'exportation. Fondamentalement, des versements aux étrangers ouvrent un canal additionnel entre pays qui fait que la Symétrie de Lerner ne tient plus. De plus, parce que les tarifs subventionnent les investisseurs dans le secteur national protégé, alors que la taxe à l'exportation peut extraire une rente des investisseurs étrangers dans le secteur d'exportation, le pattern d'investissement international va influencer les préférences du gouvernement quant à l'usage d'un instrument de politique commerciale ou un autre et quant à la vigueur avec laquelle il sera utilisé. La symétrie des taxes sur le commerce international est restaurée en introduisant un troisième intrument de politique sous la forme d'une taxe directe sur les versements internationaux.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily J. Blanchard, 2009. "Trade taxes and international investment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3), pages 882-899, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:42:y:2009:i:3:p:882-899
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2009.01531.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5982.2009.01531.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1540-5982.2009.01531.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Canzoneri, Matthew B., 1989. "Adverse incentives in the taxation of foreigners," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3-4), pages 283-297, November.
    2. Blanchard, Emily J., 2010. "Reevaluating the role of trade agreements: Does investment globalization make the WTO obsolete?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 63-72, September.
    3. Brecher, Richard A. & Diaz Alejandro, Carlos F., 1977. "Tariffs, foreign capital and immiserizing growth," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 317-322, November.
    4. Bond, Eric W, 1990. "The Optimal Tariff Structure in Higher Dimensions," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 31(1), pages 103-116, February.
    5. Razin, Assaf & Svensson, Lars E. O., 1983. "Trade taxes and the current account," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 55-57.
    6. Brecher, Richard A. & Findlay, Ronald, 1983. "Tariffs, foreign capital and national welfare with sector-specific factors," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3-4), pages 277-288, May.
    7. Edward John Ray, 1975. "The Impact of Monopoly Pricing on the Lerner Symmetry Theorem," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 89(4), pages 591-602.
    8. Bhagwati, Jagdish N. & Brecher, Richard A., 1980. "National welfare in an open economy in the presence of foreign-owned factors of production," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 103-115, February.
    9. Jonathan Eaton & Gene M. Grossman & William H. Kaempfer & Edward Tower, 1983. "The Impact of Monopoly Pricing on the Lerner Symmetry Theorem: A Comment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(3), pages 529-533.
    10. Neary, Peter & Ruane, Frances P, 1988. "International Capital Mobility, Shadow Prices, and the Cost of Protection," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 29(4), pages 571-585, November.
    11. William Kaempfer & Edward Tower, 1982. "The balance of payments approach to trade tax symmetry theorems," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 118(1), pages 148-165, March.
    12. Ronald W. Jones, 1967. "International Capital Movements and the Theory of Tariffs and Trade," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 81(1), pages 1-38.
    13. Edward John Ray, 1983. "The Impact of Monopoly Pricing on the Lerner Symmetry Theorem: Reply," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(3), pages 535-537.
    14. Ronald I. McKinnon, 1966. "Intermediate Products and Differential Tariffs: A Generalization of Lerner's Symmetry Theorem," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 80(4), pages 584-615.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Benedikt Heid & Mario Larch & Yoto V. Yotov, 2021. "Estimating the effects of non‐discriminatory trade policies within structural gravity models," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 376-409, February.
    2. Henrik Egbert & Nadeem Naqvi, 2011. "Market-dependent Production Set," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201145, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    3. Joseph Francis Francois & Miriam Manchin, 2013. "Lerner meets Gravity," UCL SSEES Economics and Business working paper series 123, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES).
    4. Blanchard, Emily J., 2015. "A Shifting Mandate: International Ownership, Global Fragmentation, and a Case for Deeper Integration under the WTO," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 87-99, January.
    5. Arnaud Costinot & Iván Werning, 2017. "The Lerner Symmetry Theorem: Generalizations and Qualifications," NBER Working Papers 23427, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Blanchard, Emily J., 2010. "Reevaluating the role of trade agreements: Does investment globalization make the WTO obsolete?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 63-72, September.
    7. Blanchard, Emily J., 2014. "What global fragmentation means for the WTO: Article XXIV, behind-the-border concessions, and a new case for WTO limits on investment incentives," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2014-03, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Blanchard, Emily J., 2010. "Reevaluating the role of trade agreements: Does investment globalization make the WTO obsolete?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 63-72, September.
    2. Arnaud Costinot & Iván Werning, 2017. "The Lerner Symmetry Theorem: Generalizations and Qualifications," NBER Working Papers 23427, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Michael J. Hiscox, 2004. "International Capital Mobility And Trade Politics: Capital Flows, Political Coalitions, And Lobbying," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(3), pages 253-285, November.
    4. Gilbert, John, 2000. "Raw Materials, Processing Incentives And Foreign Ownership," 2000 Annual meeting, July 30-August 2, Tampa, FL 21866, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    5. Broll, Udo & Hansen, Sabine & Marjit, Sugata, 2004. "Domestic labor, foreign capital and national welfare," Dresden Discussion Paper Series in Economics 12/04, Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Economics.
    6. Philip L. Brock & Stephen J. Turnovsky, 1992. "The Growth and Welfare Consequences of Differential Tariffs With Endogenously-Supplied Capital and Labor," NBER Working Papers 4011, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. William Kaempfer & Edward Tower, 1982. "The balance of payments approach to trade tax symmetry theorems," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 118(1), pages 148-165, March.
    8. Christis G. Tombazos & Xiaokai Yang & Dingsheng Zhang, 2005. "A Neo‐Heckscher–Ohlin Model of Trade with Endogenous Production Patterns," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 81(s1), pages 71-81, August.
    9. Hoekman, Bernard & Saggi, Kamal, 1999. "Multilateral disciplines for investment-related policies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2138, The World Bank.
    10. M.A.B. Siddique, 1997. "Economic development: Then and now," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 97-05, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    11. Anil Lal, 2001. "Goods and factors liberalization under increasing returns to scale," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(2), pages 115-131.
    12. Joseph Francis Francois & Miriam Manchin, 2013. "Lerner meets Gravity," UCL SSEES Economics and Business working paper series 123, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES).
    13. Basu, Arnab K. & Chau, Nancy H., 1999. "Adverse selection, asymmetric information, and foreign investment policies," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 239-252, September.
    14. Springer, Katrin, 2000. "Do We Have to Consider International Capital Mobility in Trade Models?," Kiel Working Papers 964, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    15. Jaime de Melo & David Tarr, 2015. "VERs under imperfect competition and foreign direct investment: A case study of the US–Japan auto VER," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 22, pages 461-483, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    16. Buiter, Willem H., 2017. "Exchange rate implications of Border Tax Adjustment neutrality," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 11, pages 1-41.
    17. Grossman, Gene M., 1984. "The gains from international factor movements," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1-2), pages 73-83, August.
    18. Zeshan Atique & Mohsin Hasnain Ahmad & Usman Azhar, 2004. "The Impact of FDI on Economic Growth under Foreign Trade Regimes: A Case Study of Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 43(4), pages 707-718.
    19. Smruti Ranjan Behera, 2015. "Technology Spillover And Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment: An Analysis Of Indian Manufacturing Industries," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 40(3), pages 55-83, September.
    20. Biswas, Rajit, 2014. "Metzler paradox and home market effects in presence of internationally mobile capital and non-traded goods," MPRA Paper 56335, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:42:y:2009:i:3:p:882-899. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1540-5982 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.