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Endogenous Transport Prices and Trade Imbalances

Author

Listed:
  • Olaf Jonkeren

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Erhan Demirel

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Jos van Ommeren

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Piet Rietveld

    (VU University Amsterdam)

Abstract

This discussion paper led to a publication in the Journal of Economic Geography , 2011, 11(3), 509-527. According to economic theory, imbalances in trade flows affect transport prices because (some) carriers have to return without cargo from the low demand region to the high demand region. Therefore, transport prices in the high demand direction have to exceed those in the low demand direction. This implies that transport costs, and therefore trade costs, are fundamentally endogenous with respect to trade imbalances. We study this effect using transport prices for the inland waterway transport market in north-west Europe. We find that imbalances in trade flows have substantial effects on transport prices. We estimate that a one standard deviation increase in the trade imbalance from region A to region B decreases transport prices from A to B by about 8 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Olaf Jonkeren & Erhan Demirel & Jos van Ommeren & Piet Rietveld, 2008. "Endogenous Transport Prices and Trade Imbalances," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-088/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20080088
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    Cited by:

    1. Takahashi, Takaaki, 2011. "Directional imbalance in transport prices and economic geography," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 92-102, January.
    2. Frensch, Richard & Fidrmuc, Jarko & Rindler, Michael, 2023. "Topography, borders, and trade across Europe," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 816-832.
    3. Tsubota, Kenmei, 2015. "Agglomeration and directional imbalance of freight rates : the role of density economies in the transport sector," IDE Discussion Papers 488, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    4. Inmaculada Mart�nez-Zarzoso & Sami Bensassi, 2013. "The Price Of Modern Maritime Piracy," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 397-418, October.
    5. Demirel, Erhan & Ommeren, Jos van & Rietveld, Piet, 2010. "A matching model for the backhaul problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 549-561, May.
    6. Rachel Ann Mulhall & John R. Bryson, 2013. "The Energy Hot Potato and Governance of Value Chains: Power, Risk, and Organizational Adjustment in Intermediate Manufacturing Firms," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 89(4), pages 395-419, October.
    7. Dominik Boddin & Frank Stähler, 2024. "Import tariffs and transport prices," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(2), pages 430-458, May.
    8. Brooks, Leah & Gendron-Carrier, Nicolas & Rua, Gisela, 2021. "The local impact of containerization," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    9. Asturias, Jose, 2020. "Endogenous transportation costs," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    10. Xu, Hangtian & Itoh, Hidekazu, 2016. "Density economies and transport geography: Evidence from the container shipping industry," MPRA Paper 75580, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Behrens, Kristian & Picard, Pierre M., 2011. "Transportation, freight rates, and economic geography," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 280-291.
    12. Dominik Boddin & Frank Stähler, 2018. "The Organization of International Trade," CESifo Working Paper Series 7378, CESifo.
    13. Kurt A. Hafner & Jörn Kleinert & Julia Spies, 2023. "Endogenous transport costs and international trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 560-597, March.
    14. Sofiyandi, Yusuf & Kurniawan, Yusuf Reza & Yudhistira, Muhammad Halley, 2023. "The impact of maritime logistics subsidy on food prices: Evidence from Indonesia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1026-1045.
    15. Kiyoyasu Tanaka & Kenmei Tsubota, 2017. "Directional imbalance in freight rates: evidence from Japanese inter-prefectural data," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 217-232.
    16. Xu, Hangtian & Itoh, Hidekazu, 2018. "Density economies and transport geography: Evidence from the container shipping industry," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 121-132.
    17. Felix L. Friedt & Wesley W. Wilson, 2020. "Trade, transport costs and trade imbalances: An empirical examination of international markets and backhauls," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(2), pages 592-636, May.
    18. Joern Kleinert & Julia Spies, 2011. "Endogenous Transport Costs in International Trade," IAW Discussion Papers 74, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).
    19. Charlotte Emlinger & Amélie Guillin, "undated". "Cheaper and Faster: The Role of Air Services Agreements on Transportation," Working Papers 2023-17, CEPII research center.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Imbalances in trade flows; trade costs; inland waterway transport market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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