20 International Trade McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Some Key Trade Facts • U.S. trade deficit in goods • $517 billion in 2009 • U.S. trade surplus in services • $138 billion in 2009 • Canada largest U.S. trade partner • Trade deficit with China • $220 billion in 2009 • Exports are 13% U.S. output • Dependence on oil LO1 20-2 Some Key Trade Facts • Principal U.S. exports include: • Chemicals • Agricultural products • Consumer durables • Semiconductors • Aircraft • U.S. provides about 8.5% of world’s exports LO1 20-3 Some Key Trade Facts • Principal U.S. imports include: • Petroleum • Automobiles • Metals • Household appliances • Computers LO1 20-4 Some Key Trade Facts LO1 20-5 Some Key Trade Facts LO1 20-6 Economic Basis for Trade • Nations have different resource • • • LO2 endowments Labor-intensive goods Land-intensive goods Capital-intensive goods 20-7 Comparative Advantage • Assumptions • Two nations • Same size labor force • Constant costs in each country • Different costs between countries • U.S. absolute advantage in both • Opportunity cost ratio • Slope of the curve • Vegetables sacrificed per ton of beef LO2 20-8 Comparative Advantage (a) United States 45 40 40 35 35 30 30 Vegetables (Tons) Vegetables (Tons) 45 25 20 15 12 10 A 20 15 5 4 5 10 15 18 20 Beef (Tons) LO2 25 10 5 0 (b) Mexico 25 30 0 Z 5 8 10 15 20 Beef (Tons) 20-9 Comparative Advantage • Self-sufficiency output mix • Specialization and trade • Produce the good with the lowest domestic opportunity cost • Opportunity cost of 1 ton of beef: • 1 pound of vegetables in U.S. • 2 pounds of vegetables in Mexico LO2 20-10 Comparative Advantage LO2 20-11 Comparative Advantage • Terms of trade • U.S. 1V = 1B • U.S. will sell 1B for more than 1V • Mexico 2V = 1B • Mexico will pay less than 2V for 1B • Settle between the two • Depends on supply/demand factors • Assume 1B = 1.5V LO2 20-12 Comparative Advantage • Gains from trade • Trading possibilities line • Slope equals terms of trade • Improved options • Complete specialization • More of both goods • More efficient resource allocation LO2 20-13 Gains from Trade (a) United States 45 (b) Mexico 45 V’ 40 40 35 30 30 V Vegetables (Tons) Vegetables (Tons) 35 Trading Possibilities Line 25 20 A’ 15 12 25 20 Trading Possibilities Line v 15 A 10 10 Z’ 5 0 5 4 B 5 10 15 18 20 Beef (Tons) LO2 25 30 Z W 0 5 b 8 10 b’ 15 20 Beef (Tons) 20-14 Comparative Advantage • Trade with increasing costs • Concave production curve • Resources not perfectly • LO2 substitutable • Incomplete specialization Case for free trade • Promote efficiency • Promote competition 20-15 Supply and Demand Analysis • World price • Domestic price with no trade • World price > domestic price • Export surplus • Export supply curve • World price < domestic price • Import shortage • Import supply curve LO3 20-16 Supply and Demand Analysis Surplus = 100 (b) U.S. Export Supply and Import Demand Sd 1.50 1.50 Surplus = 50 1.25 c 1.25 1.00 1.00 .75 Shortage = 50 .50 0 50 75 100 125 Quantity of Aluminum (Millions of Pounds) b U.S. Export Supply a U.S. Import Demand .75 x .50 y Dd Shortage = 100 LO3 Price (Per Pound; U.S. Dollars Price (Per Pound; U.S. Dollars (a) U.S. Domestic Aluminum Market 150 0 50 100 Quantity of Aluminum (Millions of Pounds) 20-17 Supply and Demand Analysis (b) Canada’s Export Supply and Import Demand 1.50 1.50 Surplus = 100 Sd 1.25 1.25 Surplus = 50 s 1.00 1.00 .75 .50 Shortage = 50 Dd 0 50 75 100 125 Quantity of Aluminum (Millions of Pounds) LO3 Price (Per Pound; U.S. Dollars Price (Per Pound; U.S. Dollars (a) Canada’s Domestic Aluminum Market 150 .75 r Canadian Export Supply q Canadian Import Demand .50 t 0 50 100 Quantity of Aluminum (Millions of Pounds) 20-18 International Equilibrium Price (Per Pound; U.S. Dollars • Import demand = Export supply LO3 U.S. Export Supply Canadian Export Supply 1.00 .88 .75 e Equilibrium U.S. Import Demand Canadian Import Demand 0 50 100 Quantity of Aluminum (Millions of Pounds) 20-19 Trade Barriers and Export Subsidies • Tariffs • Revenue tariff • Protective tariff • Import quota • Nontariff barrier (NTB) • Voluntary export restriction • LO4 (VER) Export subsidy 20-20 Economic Impact of Tariffs • Direct effects • Decline in consumption • Increase in domestic production • Decline in imports • Tariff revenue • Indirect effects LO4 20-21 Economic Impact of Quotas • Decline in consumption • Increase in domestic production • Decline in imports • Quotas do not provide for any government revenue but instead transfer it to foreign producers LO4 20-22 Economic Effects of Tariff/Quota Sd Price Sd + Q Pd Pt Pw Dd 0 LO4 a b q c d Quantity 20-23 The Case for Protection • Military self-sufficiency • Diversification for stability • Infant industry • Protection against dumping • Increased domestic employment • Cheap foreign labor LO5 20-24 Multilateral Trade Agreements • General Agreement on Tariffs and • • • LO5 Trade (GATT) World Trade Organization (WTO) European Union (EU) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 20-25 GATT • Three principles: • Equal, nondiscriminatory trade between member nations • Reduction in tariffs • Elimination of import quotas LO5 20-26 WTO • Established by Uruguay Round of • • • LO5 GATT 153 member nations in 2010 Oversees trade agreements and rules on disputes Critics argue that it may allow nations to circumvent environmental and worker-protection laws 20-27 European Union • Initiated in 1958 as Common Market • Abolished tariffs and import quotas • • LO5 between member nations Established common tariff with nations outside the EU Created Euro Zone with one currency 20-28 NAFTA • Agreement between U.S., Canada, • • • LO5 and Mexico Established a free trade zone between the countries Trade has increased in all countries Enhanced standard of living 20-29 Trade Adjustment and Offshoring • Trade Adjustment Assistance Act • Designed to help individuals hurt by • LO5 international trade Offshoring of jobs • Shifting of work previously done by American workers to workers abroad 20-30 Petition of the Candlemakers • Petition of candlemakers asking for • LO5 protection from natural light producers such as the sun Tongue-in-cheek argument supporting the idea of free trade 20-31