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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Balance of payments

The balance of payments account
       Balance of payments account is a record of the value of all transactions between residents of one country, with the residents of all other countries in the world over a given time period (usually one year).


The current account
       The current account is a measure of the flow of funds from trade in goods/services (plus other  income flows). It is sub-divided into three parts:
1.       Balance of trade in goods
2.        Balance of trade in services
3.       Net income flows

Balance of trade in goods
       Also called- visible trade balance, merchandise account balance or balance of trade
       It is a measure of the revenue received from the exports of tangible (physical) goods, minus the expenditure on the imports of tangible goods, over a given time period.
       Examples- trade in airplanes or chickens (something you can touch!)

The balance of trade in services
       Also called the invisible trade balance, service balance or net services.
       It is a measure of the revenue received from the exports of services, minus, the expenditure on the imports of services over a given time period.
       Examples: banking, insurance, tourism

Income
  1. Net investment incomes (net factor income from abroad)- a measure of the net monetary movement of profit, interest and dividends moving into and out of the country over a given period of time. It is a result of financial investment abroad.

Current transfers
       Also called the invisible trade balance, service balance or net services.
       It is a measure of the revenue received from the exports of services, minus, the expenditure on the imports of services over a given time period.
       Examples: banking, insurance, tourism

The capital account
       The capital account is a measure of the buying and selling of assets between countries.
       Examples- land, real estate, firms


The financial account
Direct investments- a measure of the purchase of long term assst where the purchaser is aimoing to gain long lasting interst

Portfolio Investment- investment in stocks/shares, currency transactions and bank and savings account deposits

Reserve assets- In the context of BOP and international monetary systems, the reserve asset is the currency or other store of value that is primarily used by nations for their foreign reserves.[


Consequences
The existence of a deficit or surplus in either the current or capital account result in economic consequences.

Foreign exchange reserves may be used to increase the capital account & regain the balance.
    • A country can’t do this forever, eventually the reserves will run out…
    • In some case,s a high level of buying assets for ownership is financing the current account deficit; this could be based on foreign confidence in the domestic economy and is not a bad thing.
    • BUT if foreign ownership of domestic assets is too great, economic sovereignty could be at stake.
    • Plus if there is a “drop” in confidence, foreigners might sell the assets, increasing the supply of the currency making its value fall.

  1. It may be the current account deficit is financed by high levels of lending from abroad.
If this is the case then high levels of interest must be paid.
In the short-term, this could drain the economy and further increase the current account deficit in  the future.
Also, the danger exists that lenders could withdraw their money, leading to massive selling of the currency and a sharp decline in the exchange rate.
       A capital account surplus is mainly positive, as it allows a current account deficit.
       BUT a capital account surplus based on high levels of borrowing from abroad is not good.
      High interest payments may drain the economy for years and if the lender withdraws its money could cause a sharp decline in the exchange rate.


Methods of correcting a persistent current account deficit
  1. Expenditure-switching policies-Policies that attempt to switch the spending of domestic consumers away from imports and toward domestically produced goods/services.
When successful, spending on imports falls and the current account deficit improves
  • Examples- policies to depreciate/devalue the currency or protectionist measures

  1. Expenditure-reducing policies-Policies that attempt to reduce overall spending in the economy, shifting the AD curve left.
When this occurs spending on all goods/services decreases (including spending on imports)
The size of the fall in imports will depend on the marginal propensity to import
  • Examples- Deflationary fiscal policies (increase taxes or decrease G [government spending] OR deflationary monetary policies (increase interest rate OR reduce the money supply)

Marshal lerner condioton
Introduction- In theory, when a country’s currency depreciates or is devalued there will be an increase in exports and a decrease in imports.

AND that should improve a country’s current account deficit.
BUT this is not always the case.
B/C the effect of a price change (even a currency price change) depends on Price Elasticity of Demand (for imports or exports)

The J curve
If a government is facing a current account deficit, it may reduce the exchange rate of its currency in order to make exports relatively less expensive and imports relatively more expensive.
If this happens AND the Marshall-Lerner condition is satisfied, PEDexports + PEDimports >1, then we can expect an improvement in the current account deficit.
But in the short-run this is not always the case and the current account deficit actually gets worse before it gets better.
This is called the J-curve effect


Exchange rates


Exchange rates
Exchange rates
An exchange rate is the value of one currency expressed in terms of another currency  1 Euro- 1.28 dollars

Exchange rate systems- Fixed rate

When the value of a currency is pegged (fixed) to the value of:
a.       another currency
b.      the average value of a selection of currencies
c.       the value of a commodity (gold for example)
As the value of the variable that the currency is pegged to changes, then so does the value of the currency.

Choosing and maintaining the fixed value  source of the currency is done by the government or central bank.

If the value of the currency is raised, we call it a revaluation, if lowered, a devaluation.

Floating
A type of regime where the value of a currency is determined solely by demand for, and supply of, the currency on the Forex.

There is no government intervention.

When the value of the currency rises in a floating exchange rate regime, we say it has appreciated (appreciation), when it falls, it has depreciated (depreciation).

Demand shifts in the country's currency
Buy US exports of goods or services
    1. Change in taste in EU in favor of US products
    2. Increase in European incomes, thereby increasing demand for all things, including US imports
    3. Lower inflation rates in US, thereby making US products/services relatively cheaper than EU products/services
    4. Travel to the US
  1. Save their money in US banks or financial institutions
    1. US interest rates increase, making it more attractive to save money in the US than in the EU
    2. Make money speculating on the US dollar
    3. European speculators think the value of the dollar will rise in the future, so they buy it now to sell once it has appreciated and make financial gain.

Managed exchanged rates
No currency in the world is completely free floating.
Certain circumstances require non-interventionist governments to get involved.
      For example: when a currency experiences extreme &/or frequent fluctuations, governments tend to intervene to stabilize the currency.
      Why are frequent &/or extreme fluctuations bad for business?

The possible advantages and disadvantages of high and low exchange rates
Pros- high
  1. Downward pressure on inflation- overall price levels experience downward pressure due to inexpensive imports
  2. More imports can be bought- each unit of currency buys more foreign currency, and therefore, more foreign goods and services.
  3. Forces domestic producers to improve efficiency to remain competitive
Cons-high
  1. Damage to export industries- Exporters may find it difficult to sell abroad, could possibly lead to unemployment.
  2. Damage to domestic industries- With more imports purchased, domestic producers may find increased competition causes a fall in demand for domestic goods/services, could also lead to unemployment.
Pros- low
  1. Greater employment in export industries- Exports from the country are attractive to buyers abroad, possibly leading to more employment.
  2. Greater employment in domestic industries- Relatively expensive imports encourages domestic consumption & therefore domestic employment .
Cons- low
  1. Inflation-
    1. Imports needed for production will be relatively expensive, increasing the cost of production for firms which leads to overall higher prices in the economy.
    2. Increased demand for products/services from international buyers encourages  firms to raise prices across all economic sectors.

Pros and cons of all

Gov. intervention to intervene in the foreign exchange market
  1. Lower exchange rate to increase employment
  2. Raise exchange rate to fight inflation
  3. Maintain fixed exchange rate
  4. Avoid large fluctuations in a floating exchange rate.
  5. Achieve relative exchange rate stability to improve business confidence
  6. Improve a current account deficit (when spending on imports exceeds revenue earned from exports)
  1. Use foreign currency reserves to buy, or sell foreign currencies.
    1. Use reserves of foreign currencies to buy own currency (increasing demand forcing exchange rate up)
    2. Buy foreign currency (increasing the supply of own currency on the Forex)
  2. Change interest rates
    1. Raise interest rates- encouraging foreign investment saving
    2. Lower interest rate- making foreign investment abroad attractive, increasing supply of currency on the Forex

Advantages and disadvantages of fixed exchange rate
Pros fixed
  1. Reduces uncertainty- business can plan ahead knowing cost & prices for international trading agreements will not change.
  2. Ensure sensible government policies on inflation (because damage from inflation could be so harmful if competitiveness is not maintained)
  3. Theoretically, should reduce speculation on the Forex
Cons fixed
  1. The macroeconomic goal of low unemployment may have to be sacrificed to maintain the fixed rate through interest rate changes.
  2. Country must maintain high levels of foreign reserves to defend it’s own currency on the Forex.
  3. Choosing the exact “fixed” level is complicated and difficult and may require revaluation/devaluation.
  4. A country (China) that fixes its exchange rate artificially low risks international disagreement.
       Its exports would gain an unfair trade advantage on the world market, possibly infuriating other nations.

Pros floating
  1. Frees up interest rates to be employed as domestic monetary policy tools to control aggregate demand & therefore inflation/employment
  2. Floating exchange rates should adjust themselves to maintain a current account balance. (Explain)
  3. High levels of foreign currency reserves or gold are not necessary.

Cons floating
  1. Creates uncertainty, hard for businesses to plan for costs, investments are difficult to assess.
  2. Self-adjustment doesn’t always work (fast enough) to eliminate current account deficits.
  3. Can worsen existing levels of inflation.
       A country with relatively high inflation has difficultly exporting to others.
       The exchange rate would then fall to rectify the situation
       But this could lead to high import costs on raw materials/components necessary for production
       Leading to cost-push inflation



Monday, November 5, 2012

BW


1)      List as many different international currencies and their corresponding countries as you can.

South African Rand
United States Dollar
Lire Egypt- Egyptian pound
Danish kroner
Swedish kroner
Norwegian kroner
Icelandic kroner
`European Euro
English pound
Chinese yuan
Japanese Yen
Jornadian dinars
Tunisian Dinars
Indian Rupee
Canadian dollar
Swiss frank
Australian dollars
Russian ruble
Mexican peso
Argantinian peso
Philipinian peso
Chilean peso
Colombian peso
Cuban peso
Zimbabwe dollar
Lao kip
Nigerian Naira
Jamaican dollar
Bermudan dollar
Ukrain ruble
Lybian Lib
Manx pound
Scottish pound
UAE Durham
Oman riyals
Qatar riyals
Fijian dollars
Singapore dollars
Sudanese pound


2)a Olive oil= euro 10
10/0.80= 12.5
b) 10/0.85=11.76
c) 1 euro= 1.25 dollar
D) 1/0.85 = 1.18


Monday, October 22, 2012

data response


Data response excercise-
1.  A. dumping-the flooding of a market, especially one in a foreign country, with cheaply priced merchandise
B. unemployment-the condition of having no job
2.chapter9_files/i0150000.jpg


as the graph shows because of the tariffs the imports have decreased thus more wheels are being produced within the country.

3. demand deficit unemployment because the economuy has reached a stage of slow growth or negative growth thus consumers spnd less on goods and services. thus leading to increased unemployment

4.The consequences  on the chinese economy is taht the economy of china may have a slowing in economic growth becasue they are not able to sell their goods over seas. Thre is also a loss in world effeciency as the goods china could have sold to America are now not being sold but rather produced by less effecient domestic suppliers instead of chine supplier thus ending in a dead weight loss of welfare. 

notes for free trade

Free trade
International trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.
For and against protectionsim
        For- protects domestic employment
Protect economy from low cost labour
Protect infant industries
Avoid over-specialization
Strategic reasons
Prevent dumping
Protect product standards
Raise gov revenue
Correct balance of payment deficit

Against-
raise prices for consumers
Less choice for consumers
Decreased competition
Inefecient use of world resources
Hinder economic growth


Types of protectionism
Tar       Tarrifs- a tarrif is a tax put on imported goods causing a shift in supply curve of the world.
U  Used as anti dumping.
      Leads to loss of sconsumer surplus leading to loss of welfare
     D  now produced by relatvly inefficient domestic farmer leading to a welfare loss
   
Subsidies
                                          Amount of money paid to a firm
      Leads to more wheet produced by domestic which leads to ineffeciency leading to loss of welfare
     Indirectly leads to increase in taxes etc.

Quotas
    Ad   A physical limit set on the numbers or value of goods that can be imported into a country
    
 L  leads to loss of consumer surplus which leads to loss of welfare
     ineffeciency

Math

Admin barriers
   Dd red tape- admin red tape they have to pass leads to higher costs and slowness
D     health and safety standards and eviromental standards- rstrict for the sake of standards but still need to keep up imports                                     embargos- an extreme qyota, a form of extreme politcal punishment         
Nationilstic campeign
A ad A country might try to run marketing campeigns in order to encourage people to buy domestic



Sunday, October 21, 2012

Free trade bw


a)      Free trade-                        International trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.
b)       For- protects domestic employment
Protect economy from low cost labour
Protect infant industries
Avoid over-specialization
Strategic reasons
Prevent dumping
Protect product standards
Raise gov revenue
Correct balance of payment deficit

Against- raise prices for consumers
Less choice for consumers
Decreased competition
Inefecient use of world resources
Hinder economic growth

c)       Prob diesl
Chip c

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

work sheet for intl. trade


Name ___________________
Block_________
S21: Why Do Countries Trade Objectives Based Review
1. Objective 1: Define international trade.
International trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries.

2. Objective 2: Identify and explain the gains from trade:
1
Lower prices
Allows consumers to buy goods and services at lower than domestic price.
2
Greater choice
IT enables consumers to have a greater choice of products
3
Differences in recourses
It allows access to resources a country may lack or choose not to exploit.
4
Economies of scale
When there is international trade there is a larger market thus level of prod. will increase
5
Increased competition
Increased competition leads to greater efficiency
6
More efficient allocation of resources
w/o gov’t interference
7
Source of foreign exchange
IT enables countries to obtain foreign exchange

3. Objective 3: Define and give examples of specialization and the division of labor.
Specialization occurs whena firm or a country concentrates production on one or a few goods or services
In it theory specialization forms basis for the gains from trade
According to comparative advantage and economies of scale of labor
4. Objective 4: Define, explain, illustrate   and give examples of absolute advantage. (HL)
Define Absolute Advantage: When a country can produce more of a product than another country using fewer resources.
Explain the theory of absolute advantage: The theory of absolute advantage states that if a country specializes and exports a product in which it has an Absolute Advantage in production the result is an increase in production and consumption of that product.

Illustrate reciprocal absolute advantage and total absolute advantage on a graph.
Reciprocal AA                                                Complete AA
 





Give examples of absolute advantage:


5. Objective 5: Define, explain, illustrate and give examples of comparative advantage.
Define comparative advantage:
If a country can produce a good at a lower opp. cost than another country


Explain the theory of comparative advantage:
The theory of Comparative Advantage demonstrates that as long as opportunity cost are different between countries then if they specialize in the product in which they have a lower opportunity cost in producing and trade for the other product then both countries can consume beyond their PPC.


Illustrate comparative advantage on a graph. Also illustrate the one situation when countries would not benefit from trade.
 






Give examples of comparative advantage:





6. Objective 6: Calculate opportunity costs to identify comparative advantage.

Cotton
Cars
Egypt
300
100
EU
500
200

Who has the absolute advantage in producing cotton? Cars?
Cotton- EU
Cars- Eu
Who has the comparative advantage in producing cotton? Cars?
Cotton- Egypt
Cars- EU
Suggest a favorable rate of exchange:
1/0.35=2.86
Cotton 0.35
Cars=2.86
Illustrate the gains from trade on a graph:
 







Objective 7: Explain the limitations of comparative advantage theory.
1
Perfect knowledge
It is assumed there is perfect knowledge
2
Transport costs
assumed there is no transport costs
3
2 countries producing 2 goods
assume that there are only 2 economies producing 2 goods
4
Economies and diseconomies of scale
assumed that costs do not change with economies or diseconomies of scale
5
Identical goods
goods traded are assumed to be identical
6
Factors of production
factores of production stay in country
7
Free trade
factors of production stay in country

8. Objective 8: Describe the objectives and functions of the World Trade Organization.
Define WTO:
The World Trade Organization (WTO) deals with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.



Aims of the WTO:
Increase intl. trade by lowring trade barriers and providn a forum for negotioants
Functions of the WTO:

-admin. wto trade agreements
 - be a forum for negotiation
 - handle trade disputes
 - monitor trade policies
 - provider assistence and training for developing copuntries
 - coop with other countries