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Broken Levees: Europe’s Answer to the Global Changes in the Division of Labour Richard E. Baldwin Professor of International Economics, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva Munich, 5 May 2006
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Access to new markets Market opening new opportunities adjustment. 2 broad types of adjustment: –#1. Cross-sector specialisation (North-South). –#2. Within-sector specialisation & scale economies. Pains & Gains from trade. –Winners win more than the losers lose, but … Adjustment more difficult politically for #1 –Higher ratio of pains/gains.
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New markets Former Soviet bloc nations. India & China. Look at size & how different.
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10 New Member States
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China & India China India
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EU export pattern Industrial nations Asia Non EU15 Europe
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Opportunities on Production Side
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“Unbundling” Old days: ‘national systems’ –Skilled & unskilled labour + capital, management & technology. Cost of moving people, goods & ideas –People , goods , ideas . New Century way: fragment production. –European technology & managers re-bundled with labour & capital in Central Europe, Asia. –Trade in productive factors.
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Pains & gains Old days: Bundle artificial reward to labour, capital and technology. Unbundling winners & losers, but winners win more than losers lose. Wages of unskilled labour especially cheap in China & Central Europe. –Low productivity but even lower wages. … but, shortage of other talents. Potential for mutually beneficial exchange.
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Europe’s answer Europe’s companies: responded well. Europe’s governments: responded badly.
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Economic malaise Unbundling: Europe’s low & medium skilled workers were overpriced. –High productivity, but higher wages. Implied: –1. Price adjustment (relative wages fall) –2. Quantity adjustment (unemployment)
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Winners & Losers
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Government failure Mass unemployment: –Short-run vs permanent. –Tax burdens, disincentives, social exclusion. Traffic jam: –Insiders vs Outsiders. –Failure to see big picture, what Europe could be.
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Passing Parade Parable
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End Thank you for listening. http://www.hei.unige.ch/baldwin/
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EU manufactures trade share
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World: Very Regional
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