The Specific-factors model

1. The Specific-factors model Dr. Petre Badulescu

2. Topics to be covered • Specific-factors model • Earnings of Labor • Earnings of Capital and Land Lecture 3, International economics

3. Introduction The new constitution of Bolivia (2009) gives indigenous peoples control over natural resources in their territories. In addition to oil and gas, those resources include lithium, a key ingredient to make batteries for electric cars, which is found in abundance in Bolivia. A key lesson from this lecture is that in most cases, opening a country to trade generates winners and losers. The specific-factors model helps explain who gains and who loses. Lecture 3, International economics

4. Introduction It is called the specific-factors model because landis specificto the agriculture sector and capital is specific to the manufacturing sector; labor is used in both sectors. From the Ricardo model, we learned that free trade increases (decreases) relative prices in the export sector (the import sector), and this in turn affects the earnings of factors of production. Mobile factors can offset losses more easily than specific, or fixed factors. Lecture 3, International economics

5. The specific-factors model • We’ll continue to use • two countries: Home and Foreign • two sectors: Manufacturing and Agriculture. • Manufacturing uses labor and capital, and agriculture uses labor and land. • In each industry, • increases in the amount of labor used are subject to diminishing returns, that is, the marginal product of labor declines as the amount of labor used in the industry increases. Lecture 3, International economics

6. The specific-factors model The Home Country Production Possibilities Frontier Agriculture output, QA The production possibilities frontier shows the amount of agricultural and manufacturing outputs that can be produced in the economy with labor. Slope =–MPLA/MPLM A MPLA B MPLM 0 Manufacturing output, QM The slope of the PPF can be interpreted as the opportunity cost of the manufacturing output—it is the amount of the agricultural good that would need to be given up to obtain one more unit of output in the manufacturing sector. Lecture 3, International economics

7. The specific-factors model The Home Country Opportunity Cost and Prices • As in the Ricardo model, the slope of the PPF equals the opportunity cost or relative price of the good on the horizontal axis: here it is manufacturing. • Profit maximizing firms hire labor up to the point where the cost of one more hour of labor (the wage) equals the value of one more hour of labor in production. Lecture 3, International economics

8. The specific-factors model The Home Country Opportunity Cost and Prices Increase in the Relative Price of Manufactures In the absence of international trade, the economy produces and consumes at point A. The relative price of manufactures, PM/PA, is the slope of the line tangent to the PPF and indifference curve U1, at point A. With international free trade, the economy is able to produce at point B and consume at point C. The world relative price of manufactures, (PM/PA)W, is the slope of the line BC. The rise in utility from U1 to U2 is a measure of the gains from trade for the economy. Opportunity Cost and Prices 0 Lecture 3, International economics

9. The specific-factors model The Foreign Country For the sake of focusing on one case, let us assume that the Home no-trade relative price of manufacturing is lowerthan the Foreign relative price, (PM/PA) < (P*M/P*A). This assumption means that Home can produce manufactured goods relatively cheaper than Foreign, or, equivalently, that Homehas a comparative advantage inmanufacturing. Overall Gains from Trade Lecture 3, International economics

10. The specific-factors model The Foreign Country OverallGains from Trade The good whose relative price goes up (manufacturing, for Home) is exported and the good whose relative price goes down (agriculture, for Home) is imported. By exporting manufactured goods at a higher price and importing food at a lower price, Home is better off than it was in the absence of trade. Lecture 3, International economics

11. APPLICATION How Large Are the Gains from Trade? There are a few historical examples of countries that have moved from autarky (i.e., no trade) to free trade, or vice versa, quickly enough to estimate the gains from trade. One such episode in the United States occurred between December 1807 and March 1809, when the U.S. Congress imposed a nearly complete halt to international trade at the request of President Thomas Jefferson. A complete stop to all trade is called an embargo. As you might expect, U.S. trade fell dramatically during this period. Lecture 3, International economics

12. APPLICATION How Large Are the Gains from Trade? There are a few historical examples of countries that have moved from autarky (i.e., no trade) to free trade, or vice versa, quickly enough to estimate the gains from trade. Another historical case was Japan’s rapid opening to the world economy in 1854, after 200 years of self-imposed autarky. The gains were not one-sided, however; Japan’s trading partners—such as the United States—also gained from being able to trade in the newly opened markets. ■ Lecture 3, International economics

13. Earnings of Labor Determination of Wages Allocation of Labor between Manufacturing and Agriculture The amount of labor used in manufacturing is measured from left to right along the horizontal axis, and the amount of labor used in agriculture is measured from right to left. Lecture 3, International economics

14. Earnings of Labor Determination of Wages Labor market equilibrium Labor Demand of Agriculture,DLA DLA = DLM Labor Demand of Agriculture, DLM A W QM LM→ L ← LA QA Manufacturing labor Agriculture labor Allocation of Labor between Manufacturing and Agriculture (continued) Labor market equilibrium is at point A. At the equilibrium wage of W, manufacturing uses 0ML units of labor and agriculture uses 0AL units. Lecture 3, International economics

15. Earnings of Labor Change in Relative Price of Manufactures Increase in the Price of Manufactured Goods With an increase in the price of the manufactured good, the curve PM • MPLM shifts up to PM • MPLM and the equilibrium shifts from point A to point B. The amount of labor used in manufacturing rises from 0ML to 0ML, and the amount of labor used in agriculturefalls from 0AL to 0AL. The wage increases from W to W, but this increase is less than the upward shift PM • MPLM. Lecture 3, International economics

16. Earnings of Labor Change in Relative Price of Manufactures Effect on the Wage An increase in the relative price of manufacturing PM/PAcan occur due to either an increase in PMor a decrease in PA. Both these price movements will have the same effect on the real wage, that is, on the amount of manufactures and food that a worker can afford to buy. Lecture 3, International economics

17. Earnings of Labor Change in Relative Price of Manufactures Lecture 3, International economics