The Complexities of the Interface between Agricultural Policy and Trade

Tariff and non-tariff barriers are widespread as applied to agricultural trade. The theory of gains from trade considers the impacts of free trade relative to no trade and to non-tariff barriers, while the theory of agricultural policy generally places little weight on the international trading sector. However, it is necessary to combine agricultural policy with the international trading sector so that agricultural policy instruments such as price supports are considered together with barriers to trade such as tariffs. This is possible within the context of welfare economics when considering the costs and benefits of alternative agricultural and trade policies.agricultural policy, biofuels, export taxes, gains from trade, tariffs, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Environmental Economics and Policy, International Relations/Trade, Political Economy, Production Economics,

MEASURING INEFFICIENCY IN THE PRESENCE OF AN EXPORT TAX, AN IMPORT TARIFF, AND A STATE TRADING ENTERPRISE

Agricultural sales cooperative unions (ASCUs) in Turkey are heavily influenced by both domestic and international government policies. Both export taxes and import tariffs are used as policy tools to regulate cotton markets. Domestic price support programs, water subsidies, fertilizer subsidies, and credit subsidies have also been used as domestic policy tools. These types of subsidies are not uncommon among developing countries. This paper provides empirical estimates of the degree of economic inefficiency associated with government intervention in Turkish cotton markets. A two-region partial equilibrium model of cotton exports and imports is developed under the "small country assumption" to obtain empirical estimates of the deadweight welfare loss associated with these government subsidies. Although government intervention results in significant income distribution among the various cotton sectors within Turkey, the overall economic inefficiency of the redistribution is very low.export tax, tariff, agricultural policy, Turkey, cotton, agricultural cooperatives, welfare, state trading enterprises, International Relations/Trade,

The brave new world: imperfect information, segregation costs, and genetically modified organisms

The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid 1990s appeared to be the latest in a string of technological innovations in agriculture. However, consumer resistance, particularly in Europe has limited the sector’s enthusiasm. One response to the limited enthusiasm has been the emergence of segregated markets for GM and non-GM products. These separated markets reduce economic welfare because they require additional costs in the marketing system. Offsetting these segregation costs, however, the introduction of GM technologies offers increased economic welfare through reduced commodity prices for consumers who are indifferent to the presence of GM traits and increased profits to producers who adopt GM technologies. This study develops the combinations of segregation costs and increased supplies that leave societal surplus unchanged. Any GM technology that yields a larger increase in supply for any segregation cost depicted in this relationship meets the compensation principle and, thus, improves societal welfare. In this case, market based adoption of these technologies improve economic surplus. On the other hand, technologies that yields less increase in supply for any segregation cost reduces societal welfare. Under this scenario, market based adoption will not be welfare improving and, hence, government regulation may be required.genetically modified (GM) crops, compensation principle, segregation costs, Pareto principle, immiserizing growth, Agricultural and Food Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

WHERE IS THE WALRASIAN AUCTIONEER FOR AGRICULTURAL MARKETS? AN EXAMINATION OF THE MARKETING INSTITUTION

In the classical development of economic equilibrium and efficiency, transaction costs are seldom considered. This study develops a micro- market model of an agricultural market based on quality differences. The study then develops a model of market structure based on the New Theory of the Firm. Using the two models, we draw conclusions about economic potential for E-Commerce.Marketing,

Agricultural Policy: High Commodity and Input Prices

Because of high commodity prices, beginning in 2006, subsidies to farmers in the United States, the European Union, and Canada have been reduced significantly. However, significant losses have been experienced by the red meat sector, along with escalating food prices. Because of rising input costs, the “farm boom†may not be as great as first thought. Ethanol made from corn and country-of-origin labeling cloud the U.S. policy scene. Higher commodity prices have caused some countries to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers, resulting in freer commodity trade worldwide. Policymakers should attempt to make these trade-barrier cuts permanent and should rethink current policy legislation to deal with the possibility of a collapse of world commodity markets. Agricultural commodity prices have dropped significantly since early 2008.agricultural policy, high commodity prices, input prices, Agricultural and Food Policy,

TWO APPROACHES TO MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STARLINK CORN ON U.S. PRODUCERS

The discovery of StarLink corn in U.S. food products caused considerable disruption in the corn markets in 2000 and 2001. We estimated two models on the impact of StarLink corn over the 2000/2001 marketing year. In the first model, to segregate the U.S. corn market, identity preservation costs (IP costs) were imposed on the U.S. grain handling system to deal with both domestic and export sales of food corn and export sales of non food corn to Japan. In the second model, structural changes in corn demand were taken into account. Without taking into account Loan Deficiency Payment Program (LDP) payments, significant costs were incurred by producers as a result of StarLink. However, the effectively reduced the loss in revenue that would have been caused by StarLink, since there were periods of time immediately following the discovery of StarLink during which the market price dropped below the loan rate for corn. It was estimated that StarLink caused U.S. producers to lose between $25 and$290 million in revenue.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

The Optimal Processor Tariff Under the Byrd Amendment

International Relations/Trade,

Sweetener-Ethanol Complex in Brazil, the United States, and Mexico: Do Corn and Sugar Prices Matter?

Sugar is a major commodity, produced and traded around the world, but it is no longer the only sweetener. For example, in the United States, roughly 50 percent of the sweetener market is made up of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is also making inroads into Mexico. This is not the case, however, for the European Union and countries such as Brazil, which dominates the world sugar market in almost all aspects (Schmitz, 2002). In the United States, 8 to 10 percent of the U.S. corn crop goes into HFCS production, with roughly the same percentage of corn being used for the production of ethanol (Schmitz and Polopolous, 1999). In Brazil, however, sugarcane, rather than corn, is used in the production of ethanol. Because of relative price differences for corn and sugar, along with government subsidies, countries like Brazil will remain heavily dependent on sugar for both its sweetener needs and ethanol production.International Relations/Trade, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL FEED AND MALTING BARLEY MARKETS: AN ECONOMETRIC SPATIAL OLIGOPOLISTIC APPROACH

A "hybrid" spatial price equilibrium model is developed to evaluate changes in production, consumption, and trade of feed and malting barley under alternative domestic and agricultural trade policy regimes. The analysis includes the economic welfare impacts of changes in various farm subsidy programs on the United States, Canada, Australia, and European Union (EU-15) which are the four major barley exporting countries in the world. The actions of competitive U.S. grain traders under the Export Enhancement Program cause feed barley exports to be segmented into two distinct markets. A spatial equilibrium is established in which the Canadian Wheat Board and Australian marketing boards behave as oligopolists in export markets under arbitrage conditions induced by U.S. and EU-15 grain traders.Malting, Feed, Farm Subsidy, Trade Policy, Export Market, Welfare, International Relations/Trade,

A SYSTEM-WIDE APPROACH FOR ANALYZING JAPANESE WHEAT IMPORT ALLOCATION DECISIONS

This paper develops and implements an import allocation model based on Theil's system-wide approach to demand and tests the assumption of blockwise dependence and uniform substitutability among different sources and types of wheat imported by Japan.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,