Quality standards for used durables: An indirect subsidy?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Clerides, Sofronis; Hadjiyiannis, Costas
• 署名单位: University of Cyprus
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-1996
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2007.12.003
• 发表日期: 2008
• 页码: 268-282
• 关键词: quality standards; durable goods; used durables; trade in used goods

摘要

We construct a theoretical framework to study the impact of quality standards for used durable goods on trade flows, profits and consumer welfare. We show that asymmetric quality standards generate trade in used goods from high- to low-standard countries while at the same time reducing trade in new goods. Producers in the exporting country benefit from this change while consumers lose. In the importing country consumers are better off but domestic industry is hurt. These findings suggest that quality standards on used goods may be a powerful policy tool whose use should be monitored by the WTO. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.