PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS

PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS

Infant industry protection revisited: The learning-by-exporting hypothesis when credit constraint matters

Author Kazuhiko Yokota, Akinori Tomohara
Date of Publication 2008. 12
No. 2008-27
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Contents Introduction

This paper develops a theoretical framework to study the policy implications of learning-byexporting. We introduce credit constraint into the learning-by-exporting model and discuss possible government intervention. The analysis shows that supporting a learning industry via an export subsidy improves social welfare when the economy maintains a balanced trade condition. However, infant industry protection is not necessarily justified if consumers can access to the international financial market. A learning sector’s goods could be overproduced (relative to another non-tradable sector goods) when consumers can borrow freely for their consumption. Social welfare will be improved once the government levies a tax on the production.