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International Trade - Theory and Policy, 2010a

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The horizontal length of Figure 5.14 "Specific Factor Model—Mussa Diagram", OTOS, represents the labor<br />

endowment (L), the total amount of labor available for use in the economy. The VMPT line slopes down<br />

from the left as presented before. However, theVMPS line slopes down from the right. This is because the<br />

point OS corresponds to zero units of labor used in steel production <strong>and</strong> OTOS units of labor used in<br />

textiles. As we move to the left from OS, labor used in steel increases, while labor used in textiles<br />

decreases. Thus the VMPS line is flipped <strong>and</strong> drawn with respect to its origin at OS. Every point along the<br />

horizontal axis corresponds to an allocation of labor between the two industries satisfying the labor<br />

constraint condition. Thus at a point like A, OTAunits of labor are used in textile production (LT)<br />

<strong>and</strong> OSA units of labor are used in steel production (LS). The sum of the two equals OTOS, which is the<br />

total labor endowment (L).<br />

At point E in Figure 5.14 "Specific Factor Model—Mussa Diagram", the two VMP lines intersect so<br />

that VMPT = VMPS, determining the unique wage rate w = wT = wS using all the available labor, OTOS.<br />

Thus at point E all four equilibrium conditions listed are satisfied.<br />

Effects of a Price Increase<br />

Prices will change whenever a country moves from autarky to free trade or when a country imposes a<br />

trade or domestic policy. At this stage, we will simply consider the effects of a price change within the<br />

context of the model without specifying why the change occurred. (In more technical terms, we say the<br />

price change is exogenous.) Later, we’ll introduce several situations to see how trade or trade policies will<br />

affect outcomes in the specific factor (SF) model.<br />

Suppose we begin with a country producing textiles <strong>and</strong> steel in an initial equilibrium given by<br />

point E in Figure 5.15 "Effects of a Price Increase". The original value of the marginal product lines is given<br />

by VMPT 1 <strong>and</strong> VMPS 1 , respectively. The initial labor allocation is OTA units to textiles <strong>and</strong> OSA units to<br />

steel. The initial wage rate in both industries is w 1 .<br />

Figure 5.15 Effects of a Price Increase<br />

Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books<br />

Saylor.org<br />

247

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