[Heckscher-Ohlin] Consider the situation of a Brazilian-style economy in the early 20th century after transportation improvements. There are two goods, manufactures, and food. There are two regions, the North and the South. These goods satisfy the strong-factor intensity hypothesis, i.e. at any factor prices, producing manufactured goods is more capital intensive, and producing food is more labor-intensive. Before the construction of the new rail system, each region is self-sufficient. The North has $100 billion in the capital and 5 million workers. The South has $500 billion in the capital and 10 million workers. After the rail system is open trade begins. Assume transport costs after the system opens are negligible, but factors remain immobile.
a. What is the overall capital-labor ratio in the South immediately before trade opens? What is the overall capital-labor ratio in the North immediately before trade opens?
b. Which region has higher wage rates? Which region has higher returns on capital? Why?
c. Which region has an advantage in producing manufactured goods? Why? Which region has an advantage in producing food? Why?
d. After trade begins, what do you expect to happen to the industrial structures of the two regions? Why?
e. In a full trade equilibrium will wage differ between industries? Between regions? Explain.
[Heckscher-Ohlin] Consider the situation of a Brazilian-style economy in the early 20th century after transportation improvements. There are two goods, manufactures, and food. There are two regions, the North and the South. These goods satisfy the strong-factor intensity hypothesis, i.e. at any factor prices, producing manufactured goods is more capital intensive, and producing food is more labor-intensive. Before the construction of the new rail system, each region is self-sufficient. The North has $100 billion in the capital and 5 million workers. The South has $500 billion in the capital and 10 million workers. After the rail system is open trade begins. Assume transport costs after the system opens are negligible, but factors remain immobile.
a. What is the overall capital-labor ratio in the South immediately before trade opens? What is the overall capital-labor ratio in the North immediately before trade opens?
b. Which region has higher wage rates? Which region has higher returns on capital? Why?
c. Which region has an advantage in producing manufactured goods? Why? Which region has an advantage in producing food? Why?
d. After trade begins, what do you expect to happen to the industrial structures of the two regions? Why?
e. In a full trade equilibrium will wage differ between industries? Between regions? Explain.
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Related questions
1. The capital stock in India is $22 trillion, and the labor force is 511 million people. The capital stock in Sri Lanka is $584 billion, and the labor force is 8 million people. Which country is relatively capital abundant?
A.India.
B.Sri Lanka
2. The capital to labor ratio in steel production in India and Sri Lanka is higher than the capital to labor ratio in textile production in both countries. We can say that the steel industry is
A.relatively capital abundant in both countries.
B.relatively capital intensive in both countries.
C.has a comparative advantage over the textile industry.
D.has an absolute advantage over the textile industry.
3. Using the data from the previous two problems, and assuming that the only two countries in the world are Sri Lanka and India, the Heckscher-Ohlin Theorem predicts that ________ , and the Stolper Samuelson Theorem predicts that _____________.
A. |
India will export steel; labor in India will benefit from trade. |
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B. |
Sri Lanka will export steel; labor in Sri Lanka will benefit from trade. |
|
C. |
India will export steel; capital owners in India will benefit from trade. |
|
D. |
Sri Lanka will export steel; capital owners in Sri Lanka will benefit from trade. |