The Macroeconomic Effects of Trade Tariffs: Revisiting the Lerner Symmetry Result
55 Pages Posted: 9 Aug 2017
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The Macroeconomic Effects of Trade Tariffs: Revisiting the Lerner Symmetry Result
The Macroeconomic Effects of Trade Tariffs: Revisiting the Lerner Symmetry Result
Date Written: July 2017
Abstract
We study the robustness of the Lerner symmetry result in an open economy New Keynesian model with price rigidities. While the Lerner symmetry result of no real effects of a combined import tariff and export subsidy holds up approximately for a number of alternative assumptions, we obtain quantitatively important long-term deviations under complete international asset markets. Direct pass-through of tariffs and subsidies to prices and slow exchange rate adjustment can also generate significant short-term deviations from Lerner. Finally, we quantify the macroeconomic costs of a trade war and find that they can be substantial, with permanently lower income and trade volumes. However, a fully symmetric retaliation to a unilaterally imposed border adjustment tax can prevent any real or nominal effects.
Keywords: Central banks and their policies, Import Tariffs; Export Subsidies; Lerner Condition, Incomplete Markets; Complete Markets, Border Adjustment Tax, Trade War, New Keynesian open-economy model, Import Tariffs, Export Subsidies, Lerner Condition, Incomplete Markets, Complete Markets, Monetary Policy (Targets, Instruments, and Effects)
JEL Classification: E52, E58
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation