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The role of commitment and the choice of trade policy instruments

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  • Costa-Cabral, Célia

Abstract

The incentives for governments to impose subsidies and tariffs on R&D and output is analyzed in a differentiated good industry where firms invest in a cost saving technology. When government commitment is credible, subsidies to R&D and output are positive both under Bertrand and Cournot competition. In the absence of government commitment the policy instrument is a tariff under Bertrand, and a subsidy under Cournot, competition. However, welfare under free trade is always greater than imposing a tariff unilaterally, or bilaterally, and hence non-committal under price competition is never an equilibrium. If a government has to choose either a subsidy on R&D (or on output) then, independent of price or quantity competition, it subsidies R&D for low levels of product substitutability and output for higherlevels of substitutability.

Suggested Citation

  • Costa-Cabral, Célia, 1999. "The role of commitment and the choice of trade policy instruments," UC3M Working papers. Economics 6166, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    • Handle: RePEc:cte:werepe:6166
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bester, Helmut & Petrakis, Emmanuel, 1993. "The incentives for cost reduction in a differentiated industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 519-534.
    2. Brander, James A., 1995. "Strategic trade policy," Handbook of International Economics, in: G. M. Grossman & K. Rogoff (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 27, pages 1395-1455, Elsevier.
    3. Brander, James A. & Spencer, Barbara J., 1985. "Export subsidies and international market share rivalry," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 83-100, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Praveen Kujal & Juan Ruiz, 2003. "International Trade Policy towards Monopolies and Oligopolies," International Trade 0302002, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Mar 2003.

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    Product differentiation;

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