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what do you mean by theories of international trade

by Sabryna Breitenberg Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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International trade theory is a sub-field of economics which analyzes the patterns of international trade, its origins, and its welfare implications. International trade policy has been highly controversial since the 18th century.

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What is the basic theory of international trade?

Also called the Heckscher-Ohlin theory; the classical, country-based international theory states that countries would gain comparative advantage if they produced and exported goods that required resources or factors that they had in great supply and therefore were cheaper production factors.

What are the new theories of international trade?

Classification of the New Theories:The Limitation Lag Hypothesis:The Product Cycle Theory:The Linder Theory:The Krugman Model:The Gravity Model:Conclusion:

What are different types of trade theories?

What Is International Trade? International trade theories are simply different theories to explain international trade. ... Mercantilism. ... Absolute Advantage. ... Comparative Advantage. ... Modern or Firm-Based Trade Theories. ... Country Similarity Theory. ... Product Life Cycle Theory. ... Global Strategic Rivalry Theory.More items...

What are the three theories of trade?

Explain the three trade theories, the Smith's Absolute Advantage Theory, Ricardo's comparative advantage theory and Heckscher-Ohlin theory.

Why are international trade theories important?

International Trade Theories explain and facilitate international trade to happen. A wrong mindset or an ill-advised view on international trade can severely affect a country's long-term financial stability.

What is the importance of international trade?

Trade is central to ending global poverty. Countries that are open to international trade tend to grow faster, innovate, improve productivity and provide higher income and more opportunities to their people. Open trade also benefits lower-income households by offering consumers more affordable goods and services.

What are the types of international trade?

So, in this blog, we'll discuss the 3 different types of international trade – Export Trade, Import Trade and Entrepot Trade.Export Trade. Export trade is when goods manufactured in a specific country are purchased by the residents of another country. ... Import Trade. ... Entrepot Trade.

What is oldest international trade theory?

Solution. Mercantilism Theory is the oldest International Trade theory.

What are the characteristics of international trade?

Characteristics of International Trade:(i) Separation of Buyers and Producers: ... (iii) Restrictions: ... (v) Risk Element: ... (vii) Governmental Control: ... (iii) Differences in Economic Growth Rate: ... (i) Direct Business: ... (i) Clearing Agents:

What are the 6 theories of international trade?

6 International Trade TheoriesAbsolute Advantage Theory.Comparative Advantage Theory.Heckscher-Ohlin Theory.Mercantilism Theory.Product Life Cycle Theory.National Competitive Advantage Theory.

What is new theory?

New Theory is a creative web agency that pushes design and technology for a shared, frictionless future.

What is modern theory of trade?

According to the modern theory, trade between the two countries occurs only when they have differences in factor endowments. This implies that there would be no trade between the countries having identical factor endowments. But, in reality, international trade takes place even with identical factor endowments.

What is Krugman new trade theory?

According to Krugman's NTT, when the consumer preference for diverse brands is factored into the model, the fact that multiple similar products are traded back and forth between similar countries becomes a predictable outcome.

What is new trade policy?

The new FTP could benefit exporters if the incentives granted to retail and wholesale traders under the ambit of the MSME category are extended to them as well. The new FTP must enable exporters to leverage technology in the field of foreign trade.

What is international trade theory?from commercemates.com

International Trade Theory is simply the theories explaining international trade. Or, these are the theories that explain or justify why a country or a company do international trade. Or, how a company or a country can profitably carry international trade. Primarily there are two types of International Trade Theory – Classical Country-Based ...

Why do countries need international trade theories?from commercemates.com

International trade theories help countries in deciding what should be imported and what should be exported, in what quantity and with whom trade should be done internationally.

Why is manufacturing a product in which a particular country specializes beneficial?from commercemates.com

Countries should produce and export such products which can produce efficiently and import those goods that they produce relatively less efficiently. This kind of trade will be beneficial for both countries.

What is the theory of mercantilism?from commercemates.com

Mercantilism theory states that nation’s wealth is determined by its gold and silver holdings. Every nation in order to increase its economic strength should increase it’s gold and silver accumulation. It says that nations should favor export which leads to inflow of gold whereas they should disfavor import which lead to the outflow of gold. Mercantilism theory focuses on creating a trade surplus that is more exports than imports which will contribute to the accumulation of the nation’s wealth.

What is the best theory of international business?from efinancemanagement.com

Smith’s theory talks about the country focusing on producing an item that it can manufacture more proficiently than other countries. With each country focusing on producing what they do best, the result is a boost in the efficiencies.

What is the mechanism of international trade?from commercemates.com

These theories explain the mechanism of international trade that is how countries exchange goods and services with each other. International trade refers to the trade that places across national borders. It is the means through which countries exchange goods with each other and is served as an important means of survival for many countries.

What is Porter's theory?from efinancemanagement.com

Porter, in 1990, came up with a theory to explain national competitive advantage in 1990. The theory says that the competitiveness of a country’s business segment depends on the ability of that segment to come up with innovative items, processes and more.

What is international trade theory?

International trade theories are various theories that analyze and explain the patterns of international trade. These theories explain the mechanism of international trade that is how countries exchange goods and services with each other.

Why do countries need international trade theories?

International trade theories help countries in deciding what should be imported and what should be exported, in what quantity and with whom trade should be done internationally.

Why is manufacturing a product in which a particular country specializes beneficial?

Countries should produce and export such products which can produce efficiently and import those goods that they produce relatively less efficiently. This kind of trade will be beneficial for both countries.

What should a country do if it cannot produce more goods than other countries?

According to this theory, If a country cannot produce goods more efficiently than other countries then it should only produce such goods in which it is most efficient. Countries should specialize and export such products in which it has a less absolute disadvantage as compared to other products.

What is the oldest theory of international trade?

Mercantilism Theory. It is one of the oldest international trade theory which was developed in 1630. Mercantilism theory states that nation’s wealth is determined by its gold and silver holdings. Every nation in order to increase its economic strength should increase it’s gold and silver accumulation.

When was the product life cycle theory developed?

Product life cycle theory was developed in 1970 by Raymond Vernon, a Harvard Business School professor. It says that initially new products will be produced and exported from the home country of its innovation. Later on, when demand for the product grows country will undertake foreign direct investment in other countries and open several manufacturing plants to meet the request. Both locations of production and sales of product changes along with its life cycle or as product get matured.

Who developed the National Competitive Advantage Theory?

National Competitive Advantage Theory. It was developed in 1990 by Harvard business school professor, Michael porter. This theory state that national competitiveness in a particular industry will depend upon the environment that such industry is getting in the home country.

How did Smith and Ricardo's theory help countries?

The theories of Smith and Ricardo didn’t help countries determine which products would give a country an advantage. Both theories assumed that free and open markets would lead countries and producers to determine which goods they could produce more efficiently. In the early 1900s, two Swedish economists, Eli Heckscher and Bertil Ohlin, focused their attention on how a country could gain comparative advantage by producing products that utilized factors that were in abundance in the country. Their theory is based on a country’s production factors—land, labor, and capital, which provide the funds for investment in plants and equipment. They determined that the cost of any factor or resource was a function of supply and demand. Factors that were in great supply relative to demand would be cheaper; factors in great demand relative to supply would be more expensive. Their theory, also called the factor proportions theory, stated that countries would produce and export goods that required resources or factors that were in great supply and, therefore, cheaper production factors. In contrast, countries would import goods that required resources that were in short supply, but higher demand.

What is country similarity theory?

Linder’s theory proposed that consumers in countries that are in the same or similar stage of development would have similar preferences. In this firm-based theory, Linder suggested that companies first produce for domestic consumption. When they explore exporting, the companies often find that markets that look similar to their domestic one, in terms of customer preferences, offer the most potential for success. Linder’s country similarity theory then states that most trade in manufactured goods will be between countries with similar per capita incomes, and intraindustry trade will be common. This theory is often most useful in understanding trade in goods where brand names and product reputations are important factors in the buyers’ decision-making and purchasing processes.

What is the theory of mercantilism?

This theory stated that a country’s wealth was determined by the amount of its gold and silver holdings. In it’s simplest sense, mercantilists believed that a country should increase its holdings of gold and silver by promoting exports and discouraging imports. In other words, if people in other countries buy more from you (exports) than they sell to you (imports), then they have to pay you the difference in gold and silver. The objective of each country was to have a trade surplus, or a situation where the value of exports are greater than the value of imports, and to avoid a trade deficit, or a situation where the value of imports is greater than the value of exports.

What is firm based theory?

In contrast to classical, country-based trade theories, the category of modern, firm-based theories emerged after World War II and was developed in large part by business school professors, not economists. The firm-based theories evolved with the growth of the multinational company (MNC). The country-based theories couldn’t adequately address the expansion of either MNCs or intraindustry trade, which refers to trade between two countries of goods produced in the same industry. For example, Japan exports Toyota vehicles to Germany and imports Mercedes-Benz automobiles from Germany.

What is the oldest theory of international trade?

The oldest of all international trade theories, Mercantilism, dates back to 1630. At that time, Thomas Mun stated that the economic strength of any country depends on the amounts of silver and gold holdings. Greater are the holdings, more economically independent a country is. Furthermore, the idea of favoring greater exports ...

What did Michael Porter say about international trade?

Michael Porter in the 1990s suggested that the success of any business in international trade depends on the upgradable and innovative capacities of the industry as well as four other factors , which determine how that firm is going to perform in this global level race. The main concept behind this theory gives the feel of holding factor proportion as well as many other international trade theories in it.

What is the idea of favoring greater exports and promoting efforts to minimize imports?

Well! The thinking behind this concept is evident. Since you pay for the imports from the pay that you get from exports. So, if you a country has a lot to pay for the imported products then it will get from exported products. Also its economy will get inclined towards declination. Even though the view is old but the roots of modern thinking towards the financials is deeply embedded in it.

What happens if two countries specialize in the same product?

Particularly to the country as compared to the other one. From another point of view, if two countries specialize in entirely different products. Then they can quickly increase their influence in their localities by having trade with each other.

What is the export of a country?

So, the export of a country should mainly consist of the product that is abundantly available in it.

Who introduced the concept of global rivalry?

The continuous evolutionary behavior of international trade theories brings us back to the 1980s. Where Kalvin Lancaster and Paul Krugman introduced the concept of strategies, based on global level rivalries, targeting multinational corporations.

When did Raymond Vernon introduce the concept of using a product's life cycle to explain global trade patterns?

In the 1970s , Raymond Vernon introduced the notion of using a product’s life cycle to explain global trade patterns, in the field of marketing. According to theory, if the demand for a newly created product grows. Then the home country starts exporting it to other nations. Where when the demand grows, local manufacturing plants are opened to meet the request. And the scenario covers the whole globe from time to time. Thus making that product a standardization.

What is international trade theory?

Trade is the concept of exchanging goods and services between two people or entities. International trade is then the concept of this exchange between people or entities in two different countries. People or entities trade because they believe ...

What is the historical theory of trade?

The main historical theories are called classical and are from the perspective of a country, or country-based. By the mid-twentieth century, the theories began to shift to explain trade from a firm, rather than a country, perspective. These theories are referred to as modern and are firm-based or company-based.

What is the theory of mercantilism?

Mercantilism. A classical, country-based international trade theory that states that a country’s wealth is determined by its holdings of gold and silver. was one of the earliest efforts to develop an economic theory. This theory stated that a country’s wealth was determined by the amount of its gold and silver holdings.

Why do people trade?

People or entities trade because they believe that they benefit from the exchange. They may need or want the goods or services. While at the surface, this many sound very simple, there is a great deal of theory, policy, and business strategy that constitutes international trade.

Is there any one theory of international trade?

As a result, it’s not clear that any one theory is dominant around the world. This section has sought to highlight the basics of international trade theory to enable you to understand the realities that face global businesses. In practice, governments and companies use a combination of these theories to both interpret trends and develop strategy. Just as these theories have evolved over the past five hundred years, they will continue to change and adapt as new factors impact international trade.

Who developed the national competitive advantage theory?

Porter’s National Competitive Advantage Theory. In the continuing evolution of international trade theories, Michael Porter of Harvard Business School developed a new model to explain national competitive advantage in 1990. Porter’s theory.

Is the world economy complex?

In reality, the world economy is more complex and consists of more than two countries and products. Barriers to trade may exist, and goods must be transported, stored, and distributed. However, this simplistic example demonstrates the basis of the comparative advantage theory.

What is international trade?

International trade, economic transactions that are made between countries. Among the items commonly traded are consumer goods, such as television sets and clothing; capital goods, such as machinery; and raw materials and food. Other transactions involve services, such as travel services and payments for foreign patents ( see service industry ).

Why is international trade important?

International trade and the accompanying financial transactions are generally conducted for the purpose of providing a nation with commodities it lacks in exchange for those that it produces in abundance; such transactions, functioning with other economic policies, tend to improve a nation’s standard of living.

What was the importance of mercantilists?

It insisted that the acquisition of wealth, particularly wealth in the form of gold, was of paramount importance for national policy. Mercantilists took the virtues of gold almost as an article of faith; consequently, they never sought to explain adequately why the pursuit of gold deserved such a high priority in their economic plans.

What was the trade policy of the mercantilists?

The trade policy dictated by mercantilist philosophy was accordingly simple: encourage exports, discourage imports, and take the proceeds of the resulting export surplus in gold. Mercantilists’ ideas often were intellectually shallow, and indeed their trade policy may have been little more than a rationalization of the interests of a rising merchant class that wanted wider markets—hence the emphasis on expanding exports—coupled with protection against competition in the form of imported goods.

What was the Anglo-French trade agreement?

A triumph for liberal ideas was the Anglo-French trade agreement of 1860, which provided that French protective duties were to be reduced to a maximum of 25 percent within five years, with free entry of all French products except wines into Britain. This agreement was followed by other European trade pacts.

Which country was the only country to remain faithful to the principles of free trade?

Shortly after 1860, during the Civil War, the United States raised its duties sharply; the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 was ultraprotectionist. The United Kingdom was the only country to remain faithful to the principles of free trade.

Which treaty ended the war between the two countries?

This change in attitudes led to the signing of a number of agreements embodying the new liberal ideas about trade, among them the Anglo-French Treaty of 1786, which ended what had been an economic war between the two countries. Adam Smith.

What is international trade?

International trade is referred to as the exchange or trade of goods and services between different nations. This kind of trade contributes and increases the world economy. The most commonly traded commodities are television sets, clothes, machinery, capital goods, food, raw material, etc. International trade has exceptionally increased, which ...

Why is international trade important?

International trade between various nations is an essential factor that is responsible for the increase in the standard of living, creating employment, and empowering consumers to enjoy different kinds of goods. Few other important factors that are influenced by international trade are:

What is forex used for?

Forex helps in paying off the cost of imports of capital goods, technologies, fertilisers, etc., from abroad.

What are the major developments in international trade?

Other equally important developments are the increase in foreign investments and production of foreign goods and services in an international country.

Why are foreign investments important?

These foreign investments and productions help companies to come closer to their international customers, thus serving them with goods and services at a very low rate.

What is direct investment?

It can be of two types: (1) Direct investment means investing funds in plant and machinery for marketing and production, also known as a foreign direct investment (FDI). Sometimes, these investments are done jointly and are known as joint ventures.

What is invisible trade?

It is also known as invisible trade. It includes the trade of services (intangible or no physical existence). There is both export and import of services. It includes services like tourism, hotel, transportation, training, research, etc.

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Classical Country-Based Trade Theories

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These are historical theories that evolved from 1500 onwards. They are more from the country perspective rather than firm or company oriented. Hence, these are also called country-based theories. Following are the Classical Country-Based Theories:
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Modern Firm-Based Theories

  • These theories came up after World War II and were largely developed by business school professors and not economists. Such theories came up after the rise in the popularity of the MNCs (multinational companies). The above (country-based theories) theories address the concern of countries and not companies. Thus, to address the need of the companies, the profe…
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Which International Trade Theory Is Most Popular?

  • Over time, all these international trade theories have helped companies, countries, researchers, and governments to understand international trade. All theories may not be applicable to all countries and may not help in understanding the trade tactics of all companies. Thus, there is no single dominant theory that is popular globally. Instead, one ...
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