Exercise Set 1
THE RICARDIAN MODEL


I. Objectives
  1. To obtain the PPF for each country
  2. To obtain the relative price in autarky
  3. To indicate autarkic consumption
  4. To obtain relative price under free trade
  5. To obtain production and consumption points under free trade
  6. To derive the pattern of trade
  7. To show each country's exports and imports
  8. To show how each country gains from trade
  9. To show how a change in the terms of trade affect a country's welfare

II. Model and Data

Assumptions

  1. Two countries - Japan (J) and Indonesia (I)
  2. Two goods - cars (C) and rice (R)
  3. One factor of production - labor (L)
  4. CRTS production technology
  5. Perfectly competitive product and labor markets

Exogenous Variables

PPF and Autarkic Prices

Japan aLCJ: aLRJ: LJ:
Indonesia aLCI: aLRI: LI:


PPF
Japan Vertical intercept: Horizontal intercept: Slope:
Indonesia Vertical intercept: Horizontal intercept: Slope:

Autarkic relative price of cars

Japan
Indonesia


Trade

Suppose that, once trade opens up, the world price is as shown below (Don't change this value!):

World relative price of cars:    




Budget Constraints
Japan Slope: Vertical intercept: Horizontal intercept:
Indonesia Slope: Vertical intercept: Horizontal intercept:


III. Questions

  1. Select values for the parameters:

    I/O coefficients: aLCJ = ________     aLRJ = ________     aLCI = ________     aLRI = ________    

    Labor force: LJ = ________     LI = ________    

  2. Sketch the PPF in both countries.

  3. Indicate the autarkic production and consumption points. (Assume suitable values; sketch indifference curves.)

  4. Sketch the budget constraint under free trade.

  5. What are the terms of trade for each country?

  6. Indicate the production and consumption points under free trade.

  7. What is the pattern of specialization? Of trade?

  8. Does each country gain from trade?

  9. Indicate the volume of exports and imports for each country.

  10. Suppose that, due to changing market conditions, the terms of trade move in favor of Indonesia. Assuming some new value for the world relative price of cars, explain how each country's welfare is affected.


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