ECON CHP 9
Briefly explain whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: "International trade is more important to the U.S. economy than to most other economies."
Disagree. Exports and imports are a relatively small fraction of the United States GDP.
Refer to the graph to the right about the market for lumber in the United States. The graph shows the effect of a $0.50 per board foot tariff on lumber. What is the quantity of lumber supplied (in thousands of board feet) by domestic producers after the tariff? What is the reduction in U.S. lumber consumption (in thousands of board feet) as a result of the tariff?
900 100
The graph at right shows the effect on consumer surplus, producer surplus, government tariff revenue, and economic surplus of a tariff of $1 per unit on imports of plastic combs into the United States. Use the areas denoted in the graph to answer the following questions. Which area(s) shows the total loss to U.S. consumers as a result of the tariff on combs? Which area(s) shows the amount of surplus transferred from consumers to producers as a result of the tariff on combs? Which area(s) show the deadweight loss to the U.S. economy as a result of the tariff on combs?
A B C D A B D
The graph at right shows the situation after the U.S. removes a tariff on imports of canned tuna. Which areas show the gain in consumer surplus? Which area shows the loss in producer surplus? Which area shows the loss in government tariff revenue? Which areas show the reduction in deadweight loss?
A B C D A C B D
Is free trade more likely to benefit a large, populous country or a small country with fewer people?
A small country with fewer people.
Consider the market for sugar in the United States depicted in the figure to the right. Assume the world price of sugar is $0.18 per pound, and at that price the United States can buy as much sugar as it wants without causing the world price to rise. Now suppose a quota imposed by the government completely eliminates trade.
As a result of the quota, consumers will be off in terms of consumer surplus
_____ is a situation in which a country does not trade with other countries. The _____ is the ratio at which a country can trade its exports for imports from other countries. By trading, countries are able to consume more than they could without trade. This outcome is possible because
Autarky, terms of trade shifting production to the more efficient country—the one with the comparative advantage—increases total production. world production of both goods increases after trade. inefficiencies in resource allocation are reduced. Or all of the above
As illustrated in the diagram to the right, when a nation moves from autarky to free trade, economic surplus increases by the areas represented by
C+D
If both countries specialize completely by producing only that for which they have a comparative advantage and then trade, what would be the terms of trade that would benefit both countries?
Both countries would benefit from trade if the Philippines were to trade 20,000 bananas for 14,000 pineapples with Columbia.
Suppose the government is considering imposing either a tariff or a quota on canned peaches. Assume that the proposed quota has the same effect on the U.S. price of canned peaches as the proposed tariff. Use the graph at right to answer the following questions. If the government imposes a tariff, which area shows the government tariff revenue? If the government imposes a quota, which area shows the gain to foreign producers of canned peaches? Consumers of peaches would
C C be indifferent between a quota and a tariff because the outcomes are the same for them.
The diagram on the right represents a tariff imposed on an individual market. The total deadweight loss (loss in economic surplus) from this tariff is illustrated by areas
C and D
Briefly explain how international trade increases a country's consumption. By specializing in the production of the goods and services in which they have a _____ advantage, countries allocate resources more efficiently. In other words, goods and services are produced at their lowest _____ cost and world output increases. Since countries are producing goods and services at different opportunity costs, _____ can be negotiated that will allow all countries to consume more with trade than in autarky.
Comparative Opportunity Terms of Trade
Briefly explain whether you agree with the following statement: "Japan has always been much more heavily involved in international trade than are most other nations. In fact, today Japan exports a larger fraction of its GDP than do Germany, Great Britain, or the United States."
Disagree. Japan exports about 20% of its GDP, of the above, only the U.S. exports a smaller percentage.
As long as countries only produce goods in which they have a comparative advantage and trade those goods for ones in which they do not have a comparative advantage, everyone gains and no one loses as a result of international trade.
False
Countries gain from specializing in producing goods in which they have an absolute advantage and trading for goods in which other countries have an absolute advantage.
False
The world is often described as having a global economy. How important is international trade to the United States?
In the U.S., exports are smaller fractions of GDP than in most other countries.
Alzuria and Narnia are two open economies that produce goods A and B. The productivity of workers in industry B in Narnia is higher than the productivity of the Alzurian workers producing B. This led industry experts to claim that Narnia should specialize in the production of B and export it to Alzuria in exchange for good A. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument that Narnia should specialize in the production of B and export it?
Industry A in Narnia employs more people than it really needs.
What is meant by a country specializing in the production of a good? Is it typical for countries to be completely specialized?
It shifts resources toward producing only those goods where it has a comparative advantage; No
Which of the following is an example of positive economic analysis?
Measuring the effect of the sugar quota on the U.S. economy.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division. In each year, the value of Canada's exports to the United States exceeded the value of U.S. exports to Canada. Can we conclude that foreign trade between the two countries benefited Canada more than it benefited the United States?
No, countries will engage in trade when there is a gain from trade to both parties.
The United States is _____ in the world. International trade remains _____ to the United States than in most other countries.
One of the largest exporters; less important.
The use of trade barriers to shield domestic companies from foreign competition is called
Protectionism
To encourage the domestic production of soybean oil, the Indian government imposed a 20% tariff on the import of soybean oil. The world price, when the tariff was imposed, was (in terms of the Indian currency, rupees) Rs.1,000 per ton of oil. The figure to the right shows the domestic supply and the level of imports before and after the imposition of the tariff. Suppose the Indian government replaced the 20% tariff imposed on the import of soybean oil with an import quota of 6 million tons. Which of the following will hold true once the quota is imposed?
The benefit that accrued to the government from the import tariff will get transferred to the foreign producers of soybean oil.
A political commentator makes the following statement: "The idea that international trade should be based on the comparative advantage of each country is fine for rich countries like the United States and Japan. Rich countries have educated workers and large quantities of machinery and equipment. These advantages allow them to produce every product more efficiently than poor countries can. Poor countries like Kenya and Bolivia have nothing to gain from international trade based on comparative advantage." Is the commentator correct or incorrect?
The commentator in incorrect.
To encourage the domestic production of soybean oil, the Indian government imposed a 20% tariff on the import of soybean oil. The world price, when the tariff was imposed, was (in terms of the Indian currency, rupees) Rs.1,000 per ton of oil. The figure to the right shows the domestic supply and the level of imports before and after the imposition of the tariff. Which of the following is most supported by the information given?
The deadweight loss because they are forced to buy from less efficient domestic producers is Rs.300 million.
Country Y exports a good to country X where it is sold at $15 per unit. The same good is sold in the home market at $17 per unit and in another market at a higher price still. Industry experts in country X claim that the good is being dumped and the government should intervene and protect the domestic industry. Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument that dumping has occurred?
The demand for the good is much more elastic in country X than in the home country.
The primary difference between a quota and a voluntary export restraint (VER) is that
The quota is unilaterally imposed by one nation on the other while the VER is the result of negotiations between nations.
To encourage the domestic production of soybean oil, the Indian government imposed a 20% tariff on the import of soybean oil. The world price, when the tariff was imposed, was (in terms of the Indian currency, rupees) Rs.1,000 per ton of oil. The figure to the right shows the domestic supply and the level of imports before and after the imposition of the tariff. Suppose as result of the higher price of soybean oil, new domestic firms enter the market, causing an increase in the demand for Soybeans. Which of the following is the most likely implication of this?
The tariff revenue earned by the Indian government will decline.
The government of a country faced substantial pressure from different sectors to reduce tariffs. Many groups, including the media, were lobbying for an overall reduction in import tariffs imposed by the government. According to them, the country would gain if free trade were encouraged. While certain sectors reported increased exports after a reduction in trade restrictions, many firms went out of business in other sectors as imports increased. People who lost their jobs complained that the reduction in tariffs had done the nation more harm than good. Which of the following, if true, would support the claim of the people who lost their jobs?
The country's trading partners have not reduced their trade barriers.
Some politicians argue that eliminating U.S. tariffs and quotas would help the U.S. economy only if other countries eliminated their tariffs and quotas in exchange.
This statement is false; the U.S. economy would gain from the elimination of tariffs and quotas even if other countries do not reduce their tariffs and quotas.
What do most economists find to be the most persuasive argument in favor of protectionism?
Trade barriers protect infant industries that initially have relatively high costs.
Which of the following statements is true about the importance of trade in the U.S. economy?
While exports and imports have been steadily rising as a fraction of GDP, not all sectors of the U.S. economy have been affected equally by international trade.
Which of the following statements is true for Tanzania with trade?
With trade, Tanzania is producing on its PPF but not consuming on its PPF.
The United States produces beef and also imports beef from other countries. The graph to the right shows the supply and demand for beef in the United States, under the assumption that the United States can import as much as it wants at the world price of beef without causing the world price of beef to increase. a. How much beef does the United States import at the world price(WP)? b. Now suppose that the United States imposes a tariff on beef of $0.50 a pound. How much beef is now imported? c. Do domestic producers of beef gain or lose when the United States imposes a tariff on beef? d. Does the government gain or lose when the United States imposes a tariff on beef? e. Do domestic consumers of beef gain or lose when the United States imposes a tariff on beef?
a. 500 million pounds of beef b. 200 million pounds of beef c. Gain d. Gain e. Lose
A student makes the following argument: "Tariffs on imports of foreign goods into the United States will cause the foreign companies to add the amount of the tariff to the prices they charge in the United States for those goods. Instead of putting a tariff on imported goods, we should ban importing them. Banning imported goods is better than putting tariffs on them because U.S. producers benefit from the reduced competition and U.S. consumers don't have to pay the higher prices caused by tariffs." Use the student's argument along with the corresponding graph to answer the following questions. a. Which line represents the price of goods with tariffs? b. Which line represents the price of goods without trade? c. Is the student's reasoning correct or incorrect?
a. Pus b. Pnt c. Incorrect
The opponents of globalization contend that
globalization destroys cultures
Dumping
is selling a product for a price below its cost of production.