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Can trade be good for the environment?

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  • Lapan, Harvey E.
  • Sikdar, Shiva

Abstract

We analyze the impact of trade in a differentiated good on environmental policy when there is local and transboundary pollution. In autarky, the (equivalent) pollution tax is set equal to the marginal damage from own emissions. If the strategic policy instrument is a tax, leakage occurs under trade and tends to lower the tax. The net terms of trade effect, due to the exportable and importable varieties of the differentiated good, tends to increase the tax. We derive conditions under which pollution taxes under trade are higher than the marginal damage from own emissions, i.e., higher than the Pigouvian tax and than that under autarky. Then, pollution falls under trade relative to autarky. When countries use quotas/permits to regulate pollution, there is no leakage, while the net terms of trade effect tends to make pollution policy stricter. The equivalent tax is always higher than the marginal damage from own emissions, i.e., always higher than the Pigouvian tax and than that under autarky; hence, pollution always falls under trade. Our analysis provides some insight into the findings in the empirical literature that trade might be good for the environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Lapan, Harvey E. & Sikdar, Shiva, 2014. "Can trade be good for the environment?," ISU General Staff Papers 201410010700001012, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:isu:genstf:201410010700001012
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael S. Michael & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Nikos Tsakiris, 2023. "Can Small Economies Act Strategically? The Case of Consumption Pollution and Non-tradable Goods," DEOS Working Papers 2312, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    2. Fabio Antoniou & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Michael S. Michael & Nikos Tsakiris, 2019. "On the Principles of Commodity Taxation under Interregional Externalities," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 03-2019, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    3. Llop Maria, 2023. "Environmental Taxation and International Trade in a Tax-Distorted Economy," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 1-12, January.
    4. Harvey E. Lapan & Shiva Sikdar, 2019. "Is Trade in Permits Good for the Environment?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(2), pages 501-510, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F - International Economics
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • H - Public Economics
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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