Wheat Storage and Trade in an Efficient Global Market

Abstract

Domestic and international linkages in speculative stockholdings and trade of wheat are analyzed using a dynamic rational expectations model of the world wheat market dominated by the U.S. and the EU. The results demonstrate the importance of endogenizing both storage and trade in studying commodity markets and suggest that past government stockholdings have not followed efficient market outcomes. Results indicate that elimination of the Export Enhancement Program by the U.S. and of export restitution payments by the EU are unlikely to have a major impact on wheat exports from the two regions but will save millions of tax dollars in both regions.

Keywords: export subsidy, speculative stockholdings, trade, world wheat market, Q130, Q170