Profits, Scale Economies, and the Gains from Trade and Industrial Policy

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2023
Volume: 113
Issue: 10
Pages: 2759-2808

Authors (2)

Ahmad Lashkaripour (not in RePEc) Volodymyr Lugovskyy (Indiana University)

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper examines the efficacy of second-best trade restrictions at correcting sectoral misallocation due to scale economies or profit-generating markups. To this end, we characterize optimal trade and industrial policies in an important class of quantitative trade models with scale effects and profits, estimating the structural parameters that govern policy outcomes. Our estimates reveal that standalone trade policy measures are remarkably ineffective at correcting misallocation, even when designed optimally. Unilateral adoption of corrective industrial policies is also ineffective due to immiserizing growth effects. But industrial policies coordinated internationally via a deep agreement are more transformative than any unilateral policy alternative.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:113:y:2023:i:10:p:2759-2808
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25