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Unionized Oligopoly, Trade Liberalization and Location Choice

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  • Kjell Erik Lommerud
  • Frode Meland
  • Lars Sørgard

Abstract

In a two-country reciprocal dumping model, with one country unionized, we analyze how wage setting and firm location are influenced by trade liberalization. We show that trade liberalization can induce FDI, which is at odds with conventional theoretical wisdom and cannot happen in a corresponding model without unionization. FDI is undertaken partly to win a distributional battle with unionized labor, and the incentives to invest abroad can be too large seen from a welfare point of view.

Suggested Citation

  • Kjell Erik Lommerud & Frode Meland & Lars Sørgard, 2002. "Unionized Oligopoly, Trade Liberalization and Location Choice," CESifo Working Paper Series 777, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_777
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    unionized oligopoly; economic integration; foreign direct investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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