CAREER: Global Transport Markets: Impact on World Trade and Efficiency

本职业发展议程着眼于运输部门在世界贸易中的作用。该研究使用新颖的数据来源，解决了地理、关税和贸易壁垒的作用、船舶燃油效率的提高以及运输价格和贸易流量的新基础设施发展等问题。该研究着眼于运输部门的效率，以及如何通过适当的政策改善社会福利。该研究还考虑了像优步这样的中心化平台的影响。该项目开发了一个以（海洋）运输服务市场和世界货物贸易市场相互作用为中心的空间模型。该模型提供了均衡贸易流量，以及均衡贸易成本。这一设置随后被用来证明运输部门(i)意味着净出口商（进口商）面临更高（更低）的贸易成本，导致各国生产活动的错配；（ii）在贸易成本方面产生网络效应；（三）减轻冲击对贸易流动的影响。这三种机制揭示了地理在国际贸易中的新作用。其次，研究从理论和实证两方面探讨了分散运输市场中均衡的效率特性，并提出了改善世界福利的适当政策。在规范贸易模型中引入微观基础贸易成本，考察其福利属性。然后，该项目将调查（海上）基础设施对经济增长和世界贸易的作用。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This CAREER agenda looks at the role of the transportation sector in world trade. Using novel data sources, the research addresses questions on the role of geography, tariffs and trade barriers, improvements in ship fuel efficiency and new infrastructure developments on transportation prices and trade flows. The research looks at the efficiency of transportation sector and how social welfare can be improved through appropriate policies. The research also considers the impact of a centralizing platform, like Uber. The project develops a spatial model that centers on the interaction of the market for (oceanic) transportation services and the market for world trade in goods. The model delivers equilibrium trade flows, as well as equilibrium trade costs. This setup is then used to demonstrate that the transportation sector (i) implies that net exporters (importers) face higher (lower) trade costs leading to misallocation of productive activities across countries; (ii) creates network effects in trade costs; and (iii) dampens the impact of shocks on trade flows. These three mechanisms reveal a new role for geography in international trade. Next, the research explores both theoretically and empirically the efficiency properties of equilibria in decentralized transportation markets and suggest appropriate policies for the improvement of world welfare. The research also introduces a micro-founded trade cost in the canonical trade model in order to examine its welfare properties. The project then will investigate the role of (maritime) infrastructure on growth and world trade.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.