Trade policy, firm entry and welfare. This project aims to quantify the effects of global tariff cuts on international trade volumes, firm entry and consumer welfare. Tariffs have fallen significantly globally. The project will incorporate international-trade theory into a parsimonious quantitative model of international trade including almost all countries. The project will also compile a comprehensive international database on tariff barriers. The project expects to refine international trade ....Trade policy, firm entry and welfare. This project aims to quantify the effects of global tariff cuts on international trade volumes, firm entry and consumer welfare. Tariffs have fallen significantly globally. The project will incorporate international-trade theory into a parsimonious quantitative model of international trade including almost all countries. The project will also compile a comprehensive international database on tariff barriers. The project expects to refine international trade theory on the effects of tariff reductions on firm entry into markets; estimate the effects of actual multilateral and preferential tariff reductions; create a tool for evaluating trade and industrial policy; and disseminate international tariff databases.Read moreRead less
International Trade, Climate Change and Economic Policy. The research project addresses the role of, and interactions between, environmental and international trade policies within the context of a global economy with increasingly open economies whose production and consumption activities generate emissions of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and have potentially adverse effects on the world’s climate, which then impacts the environment, production and households. The objective ....International Trade, Climate Change and Economic Policy. The research project addresses the role of, and interactions between, environmental and international trade policies within the context of a global economy with increasingly open economies whose production and consumption activities generate emissions of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and have potentially adverse effects on the world’s climate, which then impacts the environment, production and households. The objective is to develop better understanding of the nexus between the international economy, climate change through the environment, and international trade and environmental policies. It will achieve this objective by analyses of multi-country models of international trade, climate change and policy design.Read moreRead less
Economic Analyses of Competitor Collaboration: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Implications. Several industries in Australia (eg. airlines, banking, telecommunications) exhibit some common characteristics: few big firms, with significant market power, selling differentiated products. Given the level of market concentration in these industries, mergers are unlikely to improve welfare. However, is the same true for collaborations on value-creating activities? What decisions, if any, should any two fi ....Economic Analyses of Competitor Collaboration: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Implications. Several industries in Australia (eg. airlines, banking, telecommunications) exhibit some common characteristics: few big firms, with significant market power, selling differentiated products. Given the level of market concentration in these industries, mergers are unlikely to improve welfare. However, is the same true for collaborations on value-creating activities? What decisions, if any, should any two firms be allowed to collaborate on? What are their effects on rival firms and consumers? The project will develop the first unifying framework to address these questions. Our research findings are expected to assist the competition policymakers in comprehensively assessing the welfare impacts of competitor collaborationsRead moreRead less
An Economic Analysis of Migration Patterns in a Regionally Integrated World. Australia, among other countries, is pursuing a discriminatory free trade (i.e. RTA) agenda. The slow progress of WTO multilateral talks will exacerbate this trend. At the same time, the level of migration to developed countries, like Australia, has been growing. What are the implications of RTAs for immigration policy in Australia? How will RTAs, whether they include or exclude Australia, influence migration flows to a ....An Economic Analysis of Migration Patterns in a Regionally Integrated World. Australia, among other countries, is pursuing a discriminatory free trade (i.e. RTA) agenda. The slow progress of WTO multilateral talks will exacerbate this trend. At the same time, the level of migration to developed countries, like Australia, has been growing. What are the implications of RTAs for immigration policy in Australia? How will RTAs, whether they include or exclude Australia, influence migration flows to and from this country? Among other things, this project helps clarify the relationship between Australia's discriminatory trade liberalisation strategy and migration patterns. The underlying theme of this research is that trade policy should be designed so that it is consistent with the aims of migration policy.Read moreRead less
Analysis of the Global Price Competitiveness of Tourism with particular reference to Australia. Price competitiveness is a key determinant of tourism flows, and this project will measure and explain global patterns in competitiveness. Building on earlier work by the investigators, it will expand the measures of competitiveness and develop a new method for measuring competitiveness in package tourism. Cross country differences in industry productivity are a primary reason why competitiveness di ....Analysis of the Global Price Competitiveness of Tourism with particular reference to Australia. Price competitiveness is a key determinant of tourism flows, and this project will measure and explain global patterns in competitiveness. Building on earlier work by the investigators, it will expand the measures of competitiveness and develop a new method for measuring competitiveness in package tourism. Cross country differences in industry productivity are a primary reason why competitiveness differs; productivity will be measured using input and output prices. Patterns in productivity will be analysed, and the hypothesis that productivity varies inversely with real incomes, observed in other service industries, will be tested.Read moreRead less
Biosecurity or Trade Barrier? The Economic Costs of Quarantine. Agricultural, fishing and forestry groups are united in supporting strict biosecurity measures, such as quarantine, in order to prevent any possibility of the importation of diseases. However, the importation of certain products from "diseased" countries does not necessarily mean that the disease will also be imported, and even if imported it may not result in the destruction of the local industry. The "diseased" countries obviousl ....Biosecurity or Trade Barrier? The Economic Costs of Quarantine. Agricultural, fishing and forestry groups are united in supporting strict biosecurity measures, such as quarantine, in order to prevent any possibility of the importation of diseases. However, the importation of certain products from "diseased" countries does not necessarily mean that the disease will also be imported, and even if imported it may not result in the destruction of the local industry. The "diseased" countries obviously remain competitive if they are able to export the products. Foreign quarantine restrictions are restricting Australia's access to international markets. The costs to consumers of the current zero-tolerance policy has not been quantified. The costs may indeed exceed the benefit.Read moreRead less
International Trade Policy Evaluation, Economic Growth and Demographics. The research will strengthen our understanding of Australia's place in the region and the world. Given Australia's dependence upon international trade, the importance of economic growth and demographic change, the relevance of inter-generation welfare and the challenges arising from globalization and the international trade policy environment, knowledge of the power and implications of international trade policies is crucia ....International Trade Policy Evaluation, Economic Growth and Demographics. The research will strengthen our understanding of Australia's place in the region and the world. Given Australia's dependence upon international trade, the importance of economic growth and demographic change, the relevance of inter-generation welfare and the challenges arising from globalization and the international trade policy environment, knowledge of the power and implications of international trade policies is crucial. This research will provide an analytical framework that will better inform policy makers and analysts and contribute to better understanding of Australia's options and role in the international trade policy arena. The result will be better trade policy choices.Read moreRead less
Human capital accumulation and economic growth: A multi-country general equilibrium model. The project seeks to explain the interaction between policies that affect human capital investment and the consequences of that investment for economic growth. Specifically it aims to incorporate recent developments in the theory of economic growth, and in particular a schooling sector that produces human capital, into a multi-country and multi sector model. This will overcome limitations of the current st ....Human capital accumulation and economic growth: A multi-country general equilibrium model. The project seeks to explain the interaction between policies that affect human capital investment and the consequences of that investment for economic growth. Specifically it aims to incorporate recent developments in the theory of economic growth, and in particular a schooling sector that produces human capital, into a multi-country and multi sector model. This will overcome limitations of the current state of growth theory, associated with the high level of aggregation used in growth models - such as the effects of sector specific research subsidies research, and the effects of education subsidies on the growth of human capital specific sectors.Read moreRead less
Increasing Globalisation and its Economic Implications. This project will focus on globalisation and its economic implications. We will: (a) propose definitions and measure of the ?degree of globalization", (b) examine its relationship with the degree of uncertainty facing an economy, (c) study the effects of globalisation and uncertainty on productivity growth, (d) examine the effects of uncertainty on the economy and (f) provide empirical applications for the Australian economy. Our project wi ....Increasing Globalisation and its Economic Implications. This project will focus on globalisation and its economic implications. We will: (a) propose definitions and measure of the ?degree of globalization", (b) examine its relationship with the degree of uncertainty facing an economy, (c) study the effects of globalisation and uncertainty on productivity growth, (d) examine the effects of uncertainty on the economy and (f) provide empirical applications for the Australian economy. Our project will provide an important, innovative and comprehensive examination of globalization and its economic effects. In addition to making novel theoretical and empirical contributions, it will also facilitate meaningful analyses of policy issues in Australia.Read moreRead less
International Trade Policy and the Dynamics of Open Economies. The project is concerned with the relationship between an open economy's international trading conditions and the allocation of resources within the economy, particularly over time (dynamic effects). The trading conditions reflect international markets and governments' trade policies. The dynamic effects upon the economy include the rate of growth, saving and inter-generation welfare. The models developed to study these relationship ....International Trade Policy and the Dynamics of Open Economies. The project is concerned with the relationship between an open economy's international trading conditions and the allocation of resources within the economy, particularly over time (dynamic effects). The trading conditions reflect international markets and governments' trade policies. The dynamic effects upon the economy include the rate of growth, saving and inter-generation welfare. The models developed to study these relationships will link international markets with domestic and future markets in a unified and consistent manner. The outcomes include a better theoretical understanding of these relationships and empirical inter-temporal models for the Australian economy that permit measurement of these dynamic effects.Read moreRead less