An Elementary Theory of Comparative Advantage

被引:104
作者
Costinot, Arnaud [1 ]
机构
[1] MIT, Dept Econ, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
关键词
Comparative advantage; neoclassical trade theory; log-supermodularity; INTERNATIONAL-TRADE; COMPARATIVE STATICS; WORLD; TECHNOLOGY; INEQUALITY; CONTRACTS; FAMILIES; PATTERN; CHOICE; MODEL;
D O I
10.3982/ECTA7636
中图分类号
F [经济];
学科分类号
02 ;
摘要
Comparative advantage, whether driven by technology or factor endowment, is at the core of neoclassical trade theory. Using tools from the mathematics of complementarity, this paper offers a simple yet unifying perspective on the fundamental forces that shape comparative advantage. The main results characterize sufficient conditions on factor productivity and factor supply to predict patterns of international specialization in a multifactor generalization of the Ricardian model which we refer to as an "elementary neoclassical economy." These conditions, which hold for an arbitrarily large number of countries, goods, and factors, generalize and extend many results from the previous trade literature. They also offer new insights about the joint effects of technology and factor endowments on international specialization.
引用
收藏
页码:1165 / 1192
页数:28
相关论文
共 56 条
[1]   Why do new technologies complement skills? Directed technical change and wage inequality [J].
Acemoglu, D .
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, 1998, 113 (04) :1055-1089
[2]   The world income distribution [J].
Acemoglu, D ;
Ventura, J .
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, 2002, 117 (02) :659-694
[3]   Contracts and technology adoption [J].
Acemoglu, Daron ;
Antras, Pol ;
Helpman, Elhanan .
AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, 2007, 97 (03) :916-943
[4]   INEQUALITY FOR WEIGHTS OF 2 FAMILIES OF SETS, THEIR UNIONS AND INTERSECTIONS [J].
AHLSWEDE, R ;
DAYKIN, DE .
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR WAHRSCHEINLICHKEITSTHEORIE UND VERWANDTE GEBIETE, 1978, 43 (03) :183-185
[5]   Logconcavity versus logconvexity: A complete characterization [J].
An, MY .
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY, 1998, 80 (02) :350-369
[6]  
[Anonymous], 1968, TOTAL POSITIVITY
[7]   Global sourcing [J].
Antràs, P ;
Helpman, E .
JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY, 2004, 112 (03) :552-580
[8]   Monotone comparative statics under uncertainty [J].
Athey, S .
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, 2002, 117 (01) :187-223
[9]   Log-concave probability and its applications [J].
Bagnoli, M ;
Bergstrom, T .
ECONOMIC THEORY, 2005, 26 (02) :445-469
[10]   OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE AND THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT [J].
BANERJEE, AV ;
NEWMAN, AF .
JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY, 1993, 101 (02) :274-298