Question

The following two graphs show the markets for smartphones in Sweden and Norway. Use the graphs to answer the questions that follow. Sweden 0 400 800 1200 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 PRICE (Dollars per smartphones) QUANTITY Demand Supply Norway 0 400 800 1200 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 PRICE (Dollars per smartphones) QUANTITY Demand Supply Assume there are no transportation costs. With trade, the price of $ brings about balance in exports and imports. At this price, smartphones are traded. With trade, Sweden produces smartphones and consumes smartphones, and Norway produces smartphones and consumes smartphones. Now suppose the per-unit transportation cost from Sweden to Norway is $5. With trade, the transportation cost changes the price of smartphones in Sweden to $ and in Norway to $ . Sweden will produce smartphones and consume smartphones, thus exporting smartphones. Norway will produce smartphones and consume smartphones, thus importing smartphones.

Answer 1

Answer:

Assume there are no transportation costs. With trade, the price of $22.5 brings about balance in exports and imports. At this price, 600 smartphones are traded. With trade, Sweden produces 900 smartphones and consumes 300 smartphones, and Norway produces 300 smartphones and consumes 900 smartphones.

Now suppose the per-unit transportation cost from Sweden to Norway is $5. With trade, the transportation cost changes the price of smartphones in Sweden to $25 and in Norway to $25. Sweden will produce 800 smartphones and consume 400 smartphones, thus exporting 400 smartphones. Norway will produce 400 smartphones and consume 800 smartphones, thus importing 400 smartphones.

Explanation:

With no transportation costs, Sweden shall export smartphones and Norway shall import smartphones because the market price is lower in Sweden than in Norway.

The demand and supply functions for smartphones in Sweden, derived from the given values, are:

$Q_{D} = 1200 - 40P$

$Q_{S} = 40P$

The export supply (ES) equation is:

$ES = Q_{S} - Q_{D}$

ES = 40P - (1200 - 40P)

ES = 80P - 1200

The demand and supply functions for smartphones in Norway, derived from the given values, are:

$Q_{D} = 1800 - 40P$

$Q_{S} = 40P - 600$

The import demand (ID) equation is:

$ID = Q_{D} - Q_{S}$

ID = 1800 - 40P - (40P - 600)

ID = 2400 - 80P

The equilibrium price and quantity traded is determined where ES = ID.

80P - 1200 = 2400 - 80P

This simplifies to P = 22.5

Q = 2400 - 80(22.5) = 600

Next, a transaction cost of $5 per unit is imposed from Sweden to Norway. This changes the ES function as follows.

New ES = 80(P - 5) - 1200

New ES = 80P - 1600

The new equilibrium is where New ES = MD.

80P - 1600 = 2400 - 80P

This simplifies to P = 25

Q = 80(25) - 1600 = 400