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The network origins of the gains from trade

Maarten Bosker Orcid Logo, Bastian Westbrock

Journal of Economic Theory, Volume: 216, Start page: 105800

Swansea University Author: Bastian Westbrock

Abstract

This paper develops a network perspective on the gains from trade in today's international supply chains. In particular, we demonstrate that the comparative statics predictions of a standard general-equilibrium trade model with input-output linkages can be expressed as a network diffusion model...

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Published in: Journal of Economic Theory
ISSN: 0022-0531
Published: Elsevier BV 2024
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67527
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Abstract: This paper develops a network perspective on the gains from trade in today's international supply chains. In particular, we demonstrate that the comparative statics predictions of a standard general-equilibrium trade model with input-output linkages can be expressed as a network diffusion model. This model captures the relevant dimensions of the production network's structure by just two easily quantifiable statistics: A country's upstream exposure to supply shocks further up in the network and its downstream exposure to demand shocks further down. We then show how up- and downstream exposure crucially determine the welfare effects from various types of trade cost shocks. In some cases, they even capture the entire welfare effect.
Keywords: Global trade network, Gains from trade, Network diffusion, Trade intermediation
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Start Page: 105800