Three Topics In The Theory Of International Trade Distribution Welfare And Uncertainty

This book considers the impact of uncertainty on traditional theories of international trade.

A Theory of International Trade Under Uncertainty analyzes international trade in goods and securities in the presence of uncertainty using an integrated general equilibrium framework that recognizes the dependence of markets for goods on financial markets and vice versa. The usefulness of this approach is demonstrated by means of applications to questions such as the effects of international trade on resource allocation, tariff policy, and intervention in financial capital markets. Results which are important for theoretical as well as policy oriented applications are presented. Comprised of 11 chapters, this volume begins with an introduction to some of the fundamental elements of the deterministic Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin theories of international trade. Relevant elements from the theory of decision making under uncertainty are then discussed, along with the behavior of firms and consumers-investors in an economy with stock markets. Subsequent chapters focus on problems of commercial policy; gains from trade in goods and securities; and issues of intervention in financial capital markets. The book concludes by describing a dynamic model of international trade that contains an infinite horizon and takes into account the trade-off between present period consumption and savings. An example that illustrates an equilibrium structure of the dynamic model is presented. This monograph is intended for economists who are interested in international trade or international finance, including graduate students who specialize in these fields.

In The Floating World, Emeritus Professor of Economics Wilfred Ethier collates 22 papers that delve deep into the study on International Trade Theory. These papers are grouped into six distinct sections. Each covers an overarching research program in trade theory — Factor-Endowments Theory, Economies of Scale, International Factor Markets, Regional Integration, the Political Economy of Trade Policy, and Administered Protection. An additional section for important papers outside of those programs is also included. With papers originally written in the 1970s all the way up to recent times, Ethier provides contemporary commentary for each section, referring to further sources, candid accounts on the state of international trade theory at the time and how each paper contributed to further improvements of their respective research program.

International agricultural trade now exceeds one trillion dollars. It is one of the key factors in the world economy, and the United States, like many other countries, depends on it to keep food prices reasonable, our balance of payments healthy, and the dollar from collapsing on the international money exchanges. The Symposium on International Trade and Agriculture held at Tucson, Arizona, in April 1977, covered all major topics of trade and commerce policy as they relate to agriculture. The papers presented in this book reflect the major concerns of outstanding professional economists and a great variety of agricultural research organizations.

In the present text the author deals with both conventional and new approaches to trade theory and policy, treating all important research topics in international economics and clarifying their mathematical intricacies. The textbook is intended for undergraduates, graduates and researchers alike. It addresses undergraduate students with extremely clear language and illustrations, making even the most complex trade models accessible. In the appendices, graduate students and researchers will find self-contained treatments in mathematical terms. The new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the latest research on international trade.