Staff Reports
Would Protectionism Defuse Global Imbalances and Spur Economic Activity? A Scenario Analysis
December 2006 Number 268
JEL classification: E66, F32, F47

Authors: Hamid Faruqee, Douglas Laxton, Dirk Muir, and Paolo Pesenti

In the evolving analysis of global imbalances, the possibility that countries will resort to increased protectionism is often mentioned but rarely analyzed. This paper attempts to fill that gap, examining the macroeconomic implications of a shift to protectionist policies through the lens of a dynamic general equilibrium model of the world economy that encompasses four regional blocs. Simulation exercises are carried out to assess the consequences of imposing uniform and discriminatory tariffs on trading partners as well as the consequences of tariff retaliation. We also discuss a scenario in which a “globalization backlash” lowers the degree of competition in import-competing sectors, and compare the implications of higher markups in the product and labor markets.

Available only in PDFPDF59 pages / 516 kb

For a published version of this report, see Hamid Faruqee, Douglas Laxton, Dirk Muir, and Paolo Pesenti, "Would Protectionism Defuse Global Imbalances and Spur Economic Activity? A Scenario Analysis," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 32, no. 8 (August 2008): 2651-89.

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