International Trade
Year: 2009-2010
Course credits: 20
Course code: 9MPS
Semester: 2
Course co-ordinator and lecturer: Dr. Nicola D. Coniglio (University of Bari)
Prerequisites: None
Course description
The course provides a sound theoretical and analytical basis for examining and evaluating the causes and consequences of international trade and factors mobility. The course will be structured around a set of topics which include: the determinants of international trade (technological differences; differences in factor endowments; economies of scale and market structure; differences in preferences across countries); international labour mobility; foreign direct investment and multinational enterprises; international fragmentation of production (offshore outsourcing); international trade policies (with a focus on developing countries); problems of trade in primary commodities.
On successful completion of the course, students should be able to explain why all countries can benefit from international trade, despite differences in production technologies and factor endowments; understand the role of differences and similarities between countries in explaining international trade flows; predict the pattern of trade between countries and discuss the distributional effects within countries; discuss the implications of less-than-perfectly competitive market structures for trade between countries; explain the different trade policy instruments available to policy makers and discuss the arguments in favour of, and against, protection; analyze and critically assess the options of economic integration available to a country, in terms of free-trade and multilateral agreements; understand the causes and consequences of more recent phenomena such as the international fragmentation of production.
Learning and teaching methods
Ten 2-hour lectures
Course texts
The main text is:
- Markusen, James R., Melvin, James R., Kaempfer, William H. and Maskus, Keith E. (1995). International Trade: Theory and Evidence, International edition, New York: McGraw-Hill.
Assessment
- Coursework (25%) and examination (75%).
- Coursework: 1 essay.
- Examination: two-hour written examination taken at the April/May examination diet.