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Abstract:
In a two-country model where firms behave à la Cournot, we show that marginal and non-marginal trade liberalization have different effects on the social desirability of horizontal mergers. Marginal tariff reductions increase (decrease) the desirability of merger at sufficiently low (high) tariff levels. In the neighborhood of free trade, for sufficiently low cost savings from merger, trade liberalization increases the desirability of merger whilst decreasing the profitability, implying that mergers should be actively encouraged by competition authorities. Furthermore, we identify ranges of tariff levels for which, if trade liberalization increases (decreases) the desirability of merger, it necessarily increases (decreases) its profitability.

Horizontal merger, trade liberalization, antitrust policy

Abstract:
We show that an environmental regulation such as a tax on pollution can act as a collusive device and induce stable cartelization in an oligopolistic polluting industry. We consider a dynamic game where pollution is allowed to accumulate into a stock over time and a cartel that includes all the firms in the industry. We show that a tax on pollution emissions can make it unprofitable for any firm to leave the cartel. Moreover the cartel formation can diminish the welfare gain from environmental regulation. We provide an example where social welfare under environmental regulation and collusion of firms is below social welfare under a laisser-faire policy.

pollution tax, oligopoly, cartel formation, coalition formation, differential game

Abstract:
We consider a differential game between two players, where one player has the first-mover advantage. We compare the equilibrium of this model with the one generated by a conventional symmetric model. The existence of a first mover results in more conservationist exploitation in the aggregate. We also consider the implication of departures from the equilibrium. If the leader can commit to decrease its fishing effort over a finite interval of time, then the follower may respond by increasing, or decreasing, its catch rate, depending on the length of the commitment period.

Abstract:
We show that in a non-cooperative transboundary pollution game, a cleaner technology (i.e., a decrease in the emission to output ratio) induces each country to increase its emissions and ultimately can yield a higher level of pollution and reduce social welfare.

transboundary pollution, technological innovation, differential game

Abstract:
In this paper, we consider oligopolistic equilibria in subgame-perfect strategies in continuous time, and investigate the effect of stock discovery on the profits of non-identical natural resource oligopolists. We show that a uniform addition to all stocks does not necessarily increase the discounted sum of profits of all firms.

Abstract:
We analyze the effects of bilateral tariff reductions on the profitability of cost-reducing horizontal mergers. Given Cournot competition in a two-country world, for any positive tariff below a certain threshold, marginal trade liberalization is shown to encourage only those domestic mergers with sufficiently large cost-savings and to discourage the rest. For tariffs close to, but smaller than, the prohibitive tariff, however, marginal trade liberalization necessarily encourages all domestic mergers. Moreover, we show that for a given level of cost-savings, the impact of marginal trade liberalization may not reliably predict that of nonmarginal liberalization.

Although at high tariffs, domestic mergers are shown to be unambiguously more profitable than cross-border mergers, near free trade, mergers which yield the most cost-savings become the most profitable. Thus, when comparing domestic and cross-border mergers, trade liberalization encourages the type which yields the most cost-savings.

Abstract:
Northern firms with patented technology can export goods to Southern markets and incur tariff costs or choose FDI and avoid the tariff. We examine the welfare effects of intellectual property protection under this scenario. When it is beneficial to do so, the Southern government offers patent protection in order to induce FDI. We find that a technological improvement in the North can reduce Southern welfare. After a technological improvement, the South still prefers that North does FDI, however longer patent protection may be required to induce FDI which can result in an overall decrease of Southern welfare. Given this immiserizing effect of technological change, Southern countries may choose to adopt higher cost technologies. We also show that a more effective technology does not necessarily require a longer patent protection to induce FDI.

Abstract:
We consider a benchmark static incentive scheme, i.e. a per unit subsidy, that induces a monopoly to produce a target output level. We show that the same output level can be achieved by a continuum of dynamic subsidy rules based on a performance indicator. The rules require only local information. The present value of the subsidies paid is smaller than the amount paid under the static subsidy. Each of the dynamic subsidy rules results at each moment in a lower per unit subsidy than the static subsidy. The subsidy rate depends on a state variable that reflects the monopolist's performance history.