Citation

Discussion Paper Details

Please find the details for DP8911 in an easy to copy and paste format below:

Full Details   |   Bibliographic Reference

Full Details

Title: Import Prices, Income, and Inequality

Author(s): Eddy Bekkers, Joseph Francois and Miriam Manchin

Publication Date: March 2012

Keyword(s): Hierarchic Demand, Ideal Variety, Importer Characteristics, Quality Expansion and Unit Values

Programme Area(s): International Trade and Regional Economics

Abstract: We compare three theoretical explanations for the positive empirical relationship between importer income per capita and traded goods prices. A first explanation is that consumers with higher incomes demand higher quality goods with higher prices. A second explanation is that wealthier people exhibit an increased willingness to pay for necessary goods as more goods enter the consumption set in a hierarchic demand system, and can thus be charged higher markups. A third explanation is that consumers with higher incomes are more finicky regarding their preferred variety in an ideal variety framework and can thus be charged higher markups. We discriminate between these three theories by focusing on the e↵ect of income inequality on trade prices. Based on a large dataset with bilateral HS6 level data on 1260 final goods categories from more than 100 countries between 2000 and 2004, we find a highly significant negative effect of income inequality on unit values. This contradicts both the demand for quality and finickyness theories, while providing support for the increased willingness to pay theory linked to hierarchic demand. These findings on income inequality do not falsify the quality expansion model and the ideal variety model per se. However, the results do argue for place of importance of hierarchic demand.

For full details and related downloads, please visit: https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=8911

Bibliographic Reference

Bekkers, E, Francois, J and Manchin, M. 2012. 'Import Prices, Income, and Inequality'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=8911