infonet-economy

In this paper, state and kinetic parameters estimation based on extended Kalman filter (EKF) is proposed. Experimental data from alcoholic fermentation process with immobilized cells is used. The measurements of glucose and ethanol concentration are used as on-line measurements for observers design and biomass concentration is used for results verification. Biomass, substrate and…

We explore the impact of international trade in a monopolistically competitive economy that encompasses technology choice and an endogenous distribution of mark-ups due to credit frictions. We show that in such an environment a gradual opening of trade may ?but not necessarily must ?have a negative impact on productivity and overall output. The reason is that the pro-competitive…

In most developed countries, the provision of water is organized at a local level. The costs and tariffs vary significantly, even between adjacent water utilities. Such heterogeneity is an obvious indication of the sector's overall inefficiency and stresses a need for institutional adjustments. We show that cooperation by water trade and the introduction of competition by common…

Using disaggregated quarterly trade data for Switzerland over 2004-2011, we study exchange rate pass through (ERPT) into imported intermediate input prices and its role in the price setting behavior of exporters. We explicitly include disaggregated proxies for imported input prices in our analyses to investigate whether Swiss exporters may have "naturally hedged" exchange…

This paper reviews the economic interventions by governments and central banks in response to the 2007-2009 financial and economic crisis.

In the area of trade policy, we find that protectionism has increased substantially, with governments targeting in particular the products of declining industries and financial services. Nevertheless, spiralling protectionism as in the…

A dataset of state measures implemented between November 2008 and October 2010 that discriminate against foreign commercial interests is used to estimate the determinants of the resort to protectionism by governments during the Great Recession. A well known theory of protectionism is found to be systematically at odds with one important aspect of the data: the more protectionist…

We study international trade in a model where consumers have non-homothetic preferences and where household income restricts the extensive margin of consumption. In equilibrium, monopolistic producers set high (low) prices in rich (poor) countries but a threat of parallel trade restricts the scope of price discrimination between countries. The threat of parallel trade allows…

On 17 May 2011, academic competition experts and practitioners from competition authorities gathered at the 6 th IDRC pre-ICN Forum on Competition and Development to share experiences and discuss ways to build alliances for competition agencies in developing countries, in order to improve competition law enforcement and effectiveness of advocacy. The meeting…