Bloom, Nicholas, Romer, Paul, Terry, Stephen and Van Reenen, John 
ORCID: 0000-0001-9153-2907
(2013)
A trapped factors model of innovation.
CEP Discussion Papers (CEPDP1189).
London School of Economics and Political Science. Centre for Economic Performance, London, UK.
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Abstract
When will reducing trade barriers against a low wage country cause innovation to increase in high wage regions like the US or EU? We develop a model where factors of production have costs of adjustment and so are partially “trapped” in producing old goods. Trade liberalization with a low wage country reduces the profitability of old goods and so the opportunity cost of innovating falls. Interestingly, the “China shock” is more likely to induce innovation than liberalization with high wage countries. These implications are consistent with a range of recent empirical evidence on the impact of China and offers a new mechanism for positive welfare effects of trade liberalization over and above the standard benefits of specialization and market expansion. Calibrations of our model to the recent experience of the US with China suggests that there will be faster long-run growth through innovation in the US and that, in the short run, this is magnified by the trapped factor effect.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Discussion Paper) |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/series.asp?... |
| Additional Information: | © 2013 The Authors |
| Divisions: | Economics Centre for Economic Performance |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory |
| JEL classification: | F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F16 - Trade and Labor Market Interactions J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs > J33 - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Technological Change; Research and Development > O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Technological Change; Research and Development > O38 - Government Policy |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Mar 2013 11:32 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Dec 2024 19:09 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/48920 |
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