Cost competition, fragmentation and globalization

Michael Burda and Barbara Dluhosch

No 2001,40, SFB 373 Discussion Papers from Humboldt University of Berlin, Interdisciplinary Research Project 373: Quantification and Simulation of Economic Processes

Abstract: This paper proposes a model in which the removal of barriers to trade and factor mobility is associated with endogenous fragmentation of the value-added chain. Fragmentation is the outcome of cost competition - the profit-maximizing choice of cost structure by monopolistically competitive firms. An expansion of the integrated trading area can induce globalization not only in the horizontal dimension associated with love-of-variety preferences, but also vertically as firms vary specialization of production stages. While increased trade is likely to induce fragmentation when the number of firms is fixed, free entry can either reverse or intensify this result.

Keywords: International Trade; Organization of Production; Technology Choice; Division of Labor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F10 L23 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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Related works:
Journal Article: Cost Competition, Fragmentation, and Globalization (2002)
Working Paper: Cost Competition, Fragmentation and Globalization (2000)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:sfb373:200140

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