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Wheat or Strawberries? Intermediated Trade with Limited Contracting

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  • Kala Krishna
  • Yelena Sheveleva

Abstract

Why do developing countries fail to specialize in products in which they appear to have a comparative advantage? We propose a model of agricultural trade with intermediation that explains how hold up resulting from poor contracting environments can produce such an outcome. We use the model to explore the role of production subsidies, support prices, easing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, and the creation of local markets in resolving the hold up problem. The model highlights the importance of infrastructure in aligning production outcomes with comparative advantage and sheds light on the pass-through of the world price to the producer.

Suggested Citation

  • Kala Krishna & Yelena Sheveleva, 2017. "Wheat or Strawberries? Intermediated Trade with Limited Contracting," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 28-62, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmic:v:9:y:2017:i:3:p:28-62
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mic.20140189
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    Cited by:

    1. David Atkin & Amit K. Khandelwal, 2020. "How Distortions Alter the Impacts of International Trade in Developing Countries," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 213-238, August.
    2. Shoumitro Chatterjee, 2023. "Market Power and Spatial Competition in Rural India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(3), pages 1649-1711.
    3. Parisa Kamali, 2019. "Exporting Through Intermediaries: Impact on Export Dynamics and Welfare," IMF Working Papers 2019/302, International Monetary Fund.
    4. Nyarko, Yaw & Pellegrina, Heitor S., 2022. "From bilateral trade to centralized markets: A search model for commodity exchanges in Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    5. Duan, Jianhua & Xuefeng, Qian & Das, Kuntal K. & Meriluoto, Laura & Reed, W. Robert, 2020. "A replication of "The role of intermediaries in facilitating trade" (Journal of International Economics, 2011)," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 14, pages 1-30.
    6. Chan, Jackie M.L., 2019. "Financial frictions and trade intermediation: Theory and evidence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 567-593.
    7. Margarita Gafaro & Heitor S. Pellegrina, 2018. "Market access, agricultural productivity and selection into trade: evidence from Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1050, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    8. Jianhua Duan & Xuefeng Qian & Kuntal K. Das & Laura Meriluoto & W. Robert Reed, 2019. "Further Tests of Ahn, Khandelwal, and Wei’s (2011) Model of Intermediated Trade," Working Papers in Economics 19/02, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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