Deck 9: The Instruments of Trade Policy

Question 1

The excess supply curve of a product we (H) import from foreign countries (F) increases as

A) excess demand of country H increases.
B) excess demand of country F increases.
C) excess supply of country H increases.
D) excess supply of country F increases.
E) excess supply of country F decreases.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A specific tariff provides home producers more protection when

A) the home market buys cheaper products rather than expensive products.
B) it is applied to a commodity with many grade variations.
C) the home demand for a good is elastic with respect to price changes.
D) it is levied on manufactured goods rather than primary products.
E) the home supply outnumbers the foreign imports.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Tariffs are not defended on the ground that they

A) improve the terms of trade of foreign nations.
B) protect jobs and reduce unemployment.
C) promote growth and development of young industries.
D) prevent over-dependence of a country on only a few industries.
E) protect domestic producers from foreign low prices.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In the country levying the tariff, the tariff will

A) increase both consumer and producer surplus.
B) decrease both the consumer and producer surplus.
C) decrease consumer surplus and increase producer surplus.
D) increase consumer surplus and decrease producer surplus.
E) decrease consumer surplus but leave producers surplus unchanged.

Question 5

Tariff rates on products imported into the U.S.

A) have dropped substantially over the past 50 years.
B) were prohibited by the constitution
C) reached an all time high in 2002.
D) have risen steadily since 1920.
E) were the government's main source of income in 2006.

Question 6

A tax of 20 percent per unit of imported garlic is an example of a(n)

A) specific tariff.
B) ad valorem tariff.
C) nominal tariff.
D) effective protection tariff.
E) a disadvantageous tariff

Question 7

The most vocal political pressure for tariffs is generally made by

A) consumers lobbying for export tariffs.
B) consumers lobbying for import tariffs.
C) consumers lobbying for lower import tariffs.
D) producers lobbying for export tariffs.
E) producers lobbying for import tariffs.

Question 8

The Metzler Paradox

A) could theoretically happen when a small country levies a tariff.
B) refers to a situation when an Optimal Tariff hurts a country's economic welfare.
C) refers to a situation when the imposition of a tariff lowers domestic prices.
D) refers to a situation when the imposition of a tariff helps foreign exporters.
E) refers to a situation when export growth in a country harms its economic welfare.

Question 9

What is a true statement concerning the imposition in the U.S. of a tariff on cheese?

A) It lowers the price of cheese domestically.
B) It raises the price of cheese internationally.
C) It raises revenue for the government.
D) It will always result in retaliation from abroad.
E) it leads to higher domestic demand for cheese.

Question 10

The tariff levied in a "large country" (Home), lowers the world price of the imported good. This causes

A) foreign consumers to demand less of the good on which was levied a tariff.
B) domestic demand for imports to decrease.
C) domestic demand for imports to increase.
D) foreign suppliers to produce less of the good on which was levied a tariff.
E) no change in the foreign price of the good it imports.

Question 11

It is argued that a tariff may help promote employment in a single industry, but is not likely to help employment in general. Discuss.

Question 12

Ad valorem tariffs are

A) import taxes stated in ads in industry publications.
B) import taxes calculated as a fixed charge for each unit of imported goods.
C) import taxes calculated as a fraction of the value of the imported goods.
D) the same as import quotas.
E) import taxes calculated solely on the origin country.

Question 13

Which type of tariff is forbidden in the United States on Constitutional grounds?

A) import tariff
B) export tariff
C) specific tariff
D) prohibitive tariff
E) import quota

Question 14

The Metzler Paradox

A) explains why the United States uses both specific and ad valorum tariffs.
B) explains why the United States uses many none-tariff barriers to imports.
C) refers to the fact that the United States exported labor-intensive goods.
D) is not considered to be of practical application in the real world.
E) explains why import quotas can produce unpredictable results.

Question 15

A lower tariff on imported steel would most likely benefit

A) foreign producers at the expense of domestic consumers.
B) domestic manufacturers of steel.
C) domestic consumers of steel.
D) workers in the steel industry.
E) foreign consumers of steel.

Question 16

Specific tariffs are

A) import taxes stated in specific legal statutes.
B) import taxes calculated as a fixed charge for each unit of imported goods.
C) import taxes calculated as a fraction of the value of the imported goods.
D) the same as import quotas.
E) import taxes calculated based solely on the origin country.

Question 17

Suppose the United States eliminates its tariff on ball bearings used in producing exports. Ball bearing prices in the United States would be expected to

A) increase, and the foreign demand for U.S. exports would increase.
B) decrease, and the foreign demand for U.S. exports would increase.
C) increase, and the foreign demand for U.S. exports would decrease.
D) decrease, and the foreign demand for U.S. exports would decrease.
E) decrease, and the foreign demand would be unchanged.

Question 18

Which of the following is a fixed percentage of the value of an imported product?

A) specific tariff
B) ad valorem tariff
C) nominal tariff
D) effective protection tariff
E) infant industry tariff

Question 19

A problem encountered when implementing an "infant industry" tariff is that

A) domestic consumers will purchase the foreign good regardless of the tariff.
B) the industry may never "mature."
C) most industries require tariff protection when they are mature.
D) the tariff may hurt the industry's domestic sales.
E) the tariffs fail to protect the domestic producers.

Question 20

A tax of 20 cents per unit of imported garlic is an example of a(n)

A) specific tariff.
B) ad valorem tariff.
C) nominal tariff.
D) effective protection tariff.
E) a disadvantageous tariff.

Question 21

The main redistribution effect of a tariff is the transfer of income from

A) domestic producers to domestic buyers.
B) domestic buyers to domestic producers.
C) domestic producers to domestic government.
D) domestic government to domestic consumers.
E) foreign producers to domestic consumers.

Question 22

If the tariff on computers is not changed, but domestic computer producers shift from domestically produced semiconductors to imported components, then the effective rate of protection in the computer industry will

A) increase.
B) decrease
C) remain the same.
D) depend on whether computers are PCs or "Supercomputers."
E) no longer apply.

Question 23

The effective rate of protection measures

A) the "true" ad valorum value of a tariff.
B) the quota equivalent value of a tariff.
C) the efficiency with which the tariff is collected at the customhouse.
D) the protection given by the tariff to domestic value added.
E) the difference between domestic and foreign prices of the import.

Question 24

When a government allows raw materials and other intermediate products to enter a country duty free, this generally results in a(an)

A) effective tariff rate less than the nominal tariff rate.
B) nominal tariff rate less than the effective tariff rate.
C) rise in both nominal and effective tariff rates.
D) fall in both nominal and effective tariff rates.
E) rise in only the effective tariff rate.

Question 25

If a small country imposes a tariff, then

A) the producers must suffer a loss.
B) the consumers must suffer a loss.
C) the government revenue must suffer a loss.
D) the demand curve must shift to the left.
E) the world price on that item will shift.

Question 26

Refer to above figure. In the absence of trade, how many Widgets does this country produce and consume?

Question 27

Refer to above figure. The loss of Consumer Surplus due to the tariff equals ________.

Question 28

Should the home country be "large" relative to its trade partners, its imposition of a tariff on imports would lead to an increase in domestic welfare if the terms of the trade rectangle exceed the sum of the

A) revenue effect plus redistribution effect.
B) protective effect plus revenue effect.
C) consumption effect plus redistribution effect.
D) production distortion effect plus consumption distortion effect.
E) terms of trade gain.

Question 29

If a good is imported into (small) country H from country F, then the imposition of a tariff In country H

A) raises the price of the good in both countries (the "Law of One Price").
B) raises the price in country H and does not affect its price in country F.
C) lowers the price of the good in both countries.
D) lowers the price of the good in H and could raise it in F.
E) raises the price of the good in H and lowers it in F.

Question 30

If the tariff on computers is not changed, but the government then adds hitherto nonexistent tariffs on imported semi-conductor components, then the effective rate of protection in the computer industry will

A) increase.
B) decrease
C) remain the same.
D) depend on whether computers are PCs or "Supercomputers."
E) no longer apply.

Question 31

Refer to above figure. The lowest specific tariff which would be considered prohibitive is ________.

Question 32

If a good is imported into (large) country H from country F, then the imposition of a tariff in country H

A) raises the price of the good in both countries (the "Law of One Price").
B) raises the price in country H and cannot affect its price in country F.
C) lowers the price of the good in both countries.
D) lowers the price of the good in H and could raise it in F.
E) raises the price of the good in H and lowers it in F.

Question 33

Refer to above figure. With a specific tariff of $3 per unit, what is the quantity of Widget imports?

Question 34

Of the many arguments in favor of tariffs, the one that has enjoyed significant economic justification has been the

A) cheap foreign labor argument.
B) infant industry argument.
C) even playing field argument.
D) balance of payments argument
E) domestic living standard argument.

Question 35

The imposition of tariffs on imports results in deadweight (triangle) losses. These are

A) production and consumption distortion effects.
B) redistribution effects.
C) revenue effects
D) efficiency effects.
E) distortion of incentives.

Question 36

Refer to above figure. In the absence of trade, what is the country's consumer plus producer surplus?

Question 37

If a good is imported into (large) country H from country F, then the imposition of a tariff in country H in the presence of the Metzler Paradox,

A) raises the price of the good in both countries (the "Law of One Price").
B) raises the price in country H and cannot affect its price in country F.
C) lowers the price of the good in both countries.
D) lowers the price of the good in H and could raise it in F.
E) raises the price of the good in H and lowers it in F.

Question 38

The principle benefit of tariff protection goes to

A) domestic consumers of the good produced.
B) foreign consumers of the good produced.
C) domestic producers of the good produced.
D) foreign producers of the good produced.
E) the domestic government.

Question 39

As globalization tends to increase the proportion of imported inputs relative to domestically supplied components,

A) the nominal tariff automatically increases.
B) the rate of (effective) protection automatically decreases.
C) the nominal tariff automatically decreases.
D) the rate of (effective) protection automatically increases.
E) the amount of tariffs levied increases.

Question 40

Refer to above figure. With free trade and no tariffs, what is the quantity of Widgets imported?

Question 41

The two deadweight triangles are the Consumption distortion and Production distortion losses. It is easy to understand why the Consumption distortion constitutes a loss for society. After all it raises the prices of goods to consumers, and even causes some consumers to drop out of the market altogether. It seems paradoxical that the Production distortion is considered an equivalent burden on society. After all, in this case, profits increase, and additional production (with its associated employment) comes on line. This would seem to be an offset rather than an addition to the burden or loss borne by society. Explain why the Production distortion is indeed a loss to society, and what is wrong with the logic that leads to the apparent paradox.

Question 42

The Metzler Paradox is a special case of the optimum tariff concept. Discuss this assertion. Would the optimum tariff tend to be a high one or a low one in the case where this paradox exists? What conditions would be needed in the international markets for a country's exports for this paradox to exist? Why do you suppose empirical support for the existence of this paradox has not been forthcoming to date?

Question 43

If an import-competing firm is imperfectly competitive, than under free trade an import quota will ________ domestic market price, ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; increase; decrease; have no effect on; decrease
B) decrease; decrease; increase; decrease; have no effect on
C) increase; have no effect on; decrease; increase; decrease
D) decrease; increase; decrease; increase; decrease
E) have no effect on; have no effect on; decrease; increase; decrease

Question 44

Some argue that tariffs always hurt the imposing country's economic welfare, and are typically designed to shift resources from one sector to another, protected or preferred one, within an economy. Find and discuss a counterexample to this argument.

Question 45

The deadweight loss of a tariff

A) is a social loss because it promotes inefficient use of national resources.
B) is a social loss because it reduces the revenue of the government.
C) is not a social loss because it merely redistributes revenue from one sector to another.
D) is not a social loss because it is paid for by rich corporations.
E) is not a social loss because it aids domestic consumers.

Question 46

The imposition of tariffs will help a nation attain which of the following goals?

A) Decreased domestic consumer prices
B) Increased domestic employment
C) Increased amount and variety of goods available for consumers
D) Increased competition between domestic and foreign producers
E) Gains for domestic producers

Question 47

An export tariff will ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; decrease; increase; have an ambiguous effect on
B) increase; decrease; decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease; have no effect on; have an ambiguous effect on
D) increase; decrease; have no effect on; decrease
E) increase; increase; decrease; have an ambiguous effect on

Question 48

In the exporting country, an export subsidy will

A) help consumers and raise the overall economic welfare of the exporting country.
B) hurt consumers but raise the overall economic welfare of the exporting country.
C) hurt consumers and lower the overall economic welfare of the exporting country.
D) help consumers but lower economic welfare of the exporting country.
E) help consumers and have no effect on the economic welfare of the exporting country.

Question 49

In an inflationary environment, then over time

A) A specific tariff will tend to raise more revenue than an ad valorum tariff.
B) An ad valorum tariff will tend to raise more revenue than a specific tariff
C) An optimum tariff will tend to raise more revenue than an escalating tariff
D) A tariff quota will tend to raise more revenue than a specific tariff.
E) an import quota would raise more revenue than a specific tariff.

Question 50

An import quota will ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; decrease; increase; have an ambiguous effect on
B) increase; decrease; decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease; have no effect on; have an ambiguous effect on
D) increase; decrease; have no effect on; decrease
E) increase; increase; decrease; have an ambiguous effect on

Question 51

The fact that industrialized countries levy very low or no tariff on raw materials and semi processed goods

A) helps developing countries export manufactured products.
B) has no effect on developing country exports.
C) hurts developing country efforts to export manufactured goods.
D) hurts developing country efforts to export raw materials.
E) does not affect industrialized countries' exports.

Question 52

An important difference between tariffs and quotas is that tariffs

A) raise the price of the good.
B) generate tax revenue for the government.
C) stimulate international trade.
D) help domestic producers.
E) are paid by foreign producers.

Question 53

The change in the economic welfare of a country associated with an increase in a tariff equals

A) efficiency loss - terms of trade gain.
B) efficiency gain - terms of trade loss.
C) efficiency loss + tax revenue gain.
D) efficiency loss + tax revenue gain + terms of trade gain.
E) efficiency loss - tax revenue gain.

Question 54

An export subsidy will ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; decrease; increase; have an ambiguous effect on
B) increase; decrease; decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease; have no effect on; have an ambiguous effect on
D) increase; decrease; have no effect on; decrease
E) increase; increase; decrease; have an ambiguous effect on

Question 55

A policy of tariff reduction in the computer industry is

A) in the interest of the United States as a whole and in the interest of computer producing regions of the country.
B) in the interest of United States as a whole but not in the interest of computer producing regions of the country.
C) not in the interest of the United States as a whole but in the interests of computer producing regions of the country.
D) not in the interest of the United States as a whole and not in the interests of computer consumers.
E) not in the interest of the United States as a whole but in the interests of foreign computer producers.

Question 56

Throughout the post-World War II era, the importance of tariffs as a trade barrier has

A) increased.
B) decreased.
C) remained the same.
D) fluctuated wildly.
E) demonstrated a classic random walk with a mean-reversion tendency.

Question 57

A voluntary export restraint will ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; decrease; increase; have an ambiguous effect on
B) increase; decrease; decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease; have no effect on; have an ambiguous effect on
D) increase; decrease; have no effect on; decrease
E) increase; increase; decrease; have an ambiguous effect on

Question 58

Economic theory in general, and trade theory in particular are replete with equivalencies. For example, it is argued that for any specific tariff one can find an equivalent ad valorum tariff; and that for any quota one can calculate a tariff equivalent. Discuss conditions or situations under which a specific and an ad valorum tariff are not equivalent. Discuss conditions or situations when a tariff and a quota are not equivalent.

Question 59

The effective rate of protection is a weighted average of nominal tariffs and tariffs on imported inputs. It has been noted that in most industrialized countries, the nominal tariffs on raw materials or intermediate components or products are lower than on final-stage products meant for final markets. Why would countries design their tariff structures in this manner? Who tends to be helped, and who is harmed by this cascading tariff structure?

Question 60

If an import-competing firm is imperfectly competitive, than under free trade an export tariff will ________ domestic market price, ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; have no effect on; decrease; increase; decrease
B) decrease; decrease; increase; decrease; have no effect on
C) increase; have no effect on; decrease; increase; decrease
D) decrease; increase; decrease; increase; decrease
E) have no effect on; have no effect on; decrease; increase; decrease

Question 61

If an import-competing firm is the only domestic producer of a good, then a transition from autarky to free trade will ________ domestic price, ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) decrease; decrease; increase; increase
B) increase; increase; increase; increase
C) decrease; decrease; decrease; decrease
D) increase; increase; decrease; decrease
E) increase; increase; decrease; increase

Question 62

Suppose an import-competing firm is imperfectly competitive. Replacement of an export tariff with an import quota that yields the same level of imports will ________ market price, ________ producer surplus, ________ consumer surplus, ________ government revenue, and ________ overall domestic national welfare.

A) increase; increase; decrease; decrease; decrease
B) have no effect on; have no effect on; have no effect on; decrease; decrease
C) increase; have no effect on; decrease; decrease; increase
D) increase; increase; increase; decrease; have an ambiguous effect on
E) decrease; decrease; increase; decrease; increase