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Multinationals, intra-firm trade and FDI: A simple model

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Abstract

This paper models trade and FDI in a world consisting of two symmetric countries. Using a monopolistic competition model of international trade which includes positive trade costs and endogenous multinational firms, we introduce an intermediate good and allow firms to fragment production internationally. The result is that under certain conditions, identical countries engage in both intra-industry FDI and intra-industry, intra-firm trade. This result provides a theoretical explanation for a well-observed but little explained phenomenon in the overlap between the theory of international trade and the theory of multinational enterprises. Examination of welfare demonstrates that firms make location choices that happen to maximise consumer welfare.

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  • Theresa Carpenter, 2005. "Multinationals, intra-firm trade and FDI: A simple model," IHEID Working Papers 01-2005, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:gii:giihei:heiwp01-2005
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    1. James R. Markusen & Anthony J. Venables, 2021. "The theory of endowment, intra-industry and multi-national trade," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: BROADENING TRADE THEORY Incorporating Market Realities into Traditional Models, chapter 4, pages 69-94, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. James R. Markusen & Anthony J. Venables, 2021. "Multinational firms and the new trade theory," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: BROADENING TRADE THEORY Incorporating Market Realities into Traditional Models, chapter 3, pages 47-67, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. S. Lael Brainard, 1993. "A Simple Theory of Multinational Corporations and Trade with a Trade-Off Between Proximity and Concentration," NBER Working Papers 4269, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Baldwin, Richard E. & Ottaviano, Gianmarco I. P., 2001. "Multiproduct multinationals and reciprocal FDI dumping," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 429-448, August.
    5. Yeats, Alexander J., 1998. "Just how big is global production sharing?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1871, The World Bank.
    6. Brainard, S Lael, 1997. "An Empirical Assessment of the Proximity-Concentration Trade-off between Multinational Sales and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(4), pages 520-544, September.
    7. James R. Markusen, 1998. "Multinational Firms, Location and Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(6), pages 733-756, August.
    8. Helpman, Elhanan, 1984. "A Simple Theory of International Trade with Multinational Corporations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 92(3), pages 451-471, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hrishikesh D. Vinod & P. M. Rao, 2019. "Externalities from Intra-Firm Trade by U.S. Multinationals," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 25(4), pages 389-397, November.

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    Keywords

    Multinationals; FDI; Intra-firm trade.;
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