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Heckscher Ohlin
Heckscher Ohlin
• Production possibilities
• Changing the mix of inputs
• Relationships among factor prices and goods prices,
and resources and output
• Trade in the Heckscher-Ohlin model
• Factor price equalization
• Trade and income distribution
• Empirical evidence
5-2
Introduction
5-3
Two Factor Heckscher-Ohlin Model
1. Two countries: home and foreign.
2. Two goods: cloth and food.
3. Two factors of production: labor and capital.
4. Consumer preferences are identical for all individuals
5. The same technological knowledge is available everywhere
6. The mix of labor and capital used in production varies across
goods.
7. The supply of labor and capital in each country is constant and
varies across countries.
8. Both labor and capital can move across sectors.
5-4
Choosing the Mix of Inputs
5-5
Fig. 5-4: Input Possibilities in Food Production
5-6
Choosing the Mix of Inputs
5-7
Fig. 5-5: Factor Prices and Input Choices
Relative Factor
Demand Curve
Remember:
Cloth is labor
intensive,
As both while food is
countries use capital
the same intensive
technology,
the same
relative factor
demand curve
is true in both
countries. 5-8
Fig. 5-5: Factor Prices and Input Choices
Relative Factor
Demand Curve
Remember:
Cloth is labor
intensive,
As both while food is
countries use capital
the same intensive
technology,
the same
relative factor
demand curve
is true in both
countries. 5-9
Factor Prices and Goods Prices
5-10
Fig. 5-6: Factor Prices and Goods Prices
As both
countries use
the same
technology,
the same SS
curve is true in
both countries.
5-11
Factor Prices and Goods Prices (cont.)
5-12
Fig. 5-7: From Goods Prices to Input Choices
As both countries
use the same
technology, all
three curves
apply to both
countries.
5-13
Fig. 5-7: From Goods Prices to Input Choices
4. So, productivity of capital
decreases in both industries,
and productivity of labor
increases in both industries
5. So, w/PC and w/PF both
increase, whereas r/PC
and r/PF both decrease
As both countries
use the same 2. … w/r increases.
technology, all
three curves
apply to both
countries.
5-16
Resources and Output
5-17
Resources and Output
5-18
Relative Supply Curves
RS*
Assumption: Home RS
is relatively
abundant in labor
and Foreign is
relatively abundant
in capital
5-19
Fig. 5-9: Trade Leads to a Convergence of Relative Prices
3: Autarky
Foreign
2: Free
Trade
1: Autarky: Home
5-20
From Autarky to Free Trade
5-21
From Autarky to Free Trade
5-22
From Autarky to Free Trade
5-23
Fig. 5-9: Trade Leads to a Convergence of Relative Prices
3: Autarky
Foreign
2: Free
Trade
1: Autarky: Home
5-26
The Factor Price Equalization Theorem
4. So, productivity of capital in
any industry – and productivity
of labor in any industry – is
equalized in the two countries
5. So, w/PC is equalized in
the two countries, as are
w/PF, r/PC and r/PF
As both countries
use the same 2. So w/r is
equalized.
technology, all
three curves
apply to both
countries.
5-33
Factor Price Equalization (cont.)
• In the real world, factor prices are not equal across countries.
• The model assumes that trading countries produce the same
goods, but countries may produce different goods if their
factor ratios radically differ.
• The model also assumes that trading countries have the same
technology, but different technologies could affect the
productivities of factors and therefore the wages/rates paid to
these factors.
5-34
Table 5-1: Comparative International Wage Rates
(United States = 100)
5-35
Factor Price Equalization (cont.)
5-36
Does Trade Increase Income Inequality?
• Over the last 40 years, countries like South Korea, Mexico, and
China have exported to the U.S. goods intensive in unskilled
labor (ex., clothing, shoes, toys, assembled goods).
• At the same time, income inequality has increased in the U.S.,
as wages of unskilled workers have grown slowly compared to
those of skilled workers.
• Did the former trend cause the latter trend?
5-37
Does Trade Increase
Income Inequality? (cont.)
5-38
Does Trade Increase
Income Inequality? (cont.)
5-39
Trade and Income Distribution
5-40
Trade and Income Distribution (cont.)
5-41
Empirical Evidence on the
Heckscher-Ohlin Model
• Tests on US data
– Leontief found that U.S. exports were less capital-intensive
than U.S. imports, even though the U.S. is the most capital-
abundant country in the world: Leontief paradox.
• Tests on global data
– Bowen, Leamer, and Sveikauskas tested the Heckscher-
Ohlin model on data from 27 countries and confirmed the
Leontief paradox on an international level.
5-42
Table 5-2: Factor Content of U.S. Exports and
Imports for 1962
5-43
Table 5-3: Testing the Heckscher-Ohlin Model
5-44
Empirical Evidence of the
Heckscher-Ohlin Model (cont.)
5-45
Empirical Evidence of the
Heckscher-Ohlin Model (cont.)
5-46
Table 5-4: Estimated Technological Efficiency, 1983
(United States = 1)
5-47
Empirical Evidence of the
Heckscher-Ohlin Model (cont.)
5-48
Fig. 5-12: Skill Intensity and the Pattern of U.S. Imports
from Two Countries
Source: John Romalis, “Factor Proportions and the Structure of Commodity Trade,” American
Economic Review 94 (March 2004), pp. 67–97.
5-49
Empirical Evidence of the
Heckscher-Ohlin Model (cont.)
5-50
Fig. 5-13: Changing Patterns of Comparative Advantage
5-51
Fig. 5-13: Changing Patterns of Comparative Advantage
(cont.)
5-52