This paper re-evaluates the US external deficit which has considerably widened over the 1990s. US safe asset provision to the rest of the world is the dominant explanation for the persistent nature of the US external deficit. We suggest that apart from the safe asset hypothesis, there is an important role for technology shocks originating in US multinational companies that have a strong foreign direct ...
This paper investigates the elusive role of productivity heterogeneity in new trade models in the trade and environment nexus. We contrast the Eaton-Kortum and the Melitz models with firm heterogeneity to the Armington and Krugman models without heterogeneity. We show that if firms have a constant emission share in terms of sales — as they do in a wide range of trade and environment models — the three ...
Our article investigates the impact of vertical integration (without foreclosure) on innovation. We compare cases where either (i) two manufacturers or (ii) a manufacturer and a vertically integrated retailer invest. Then, the independent manufacturer( s) and the retailer bargain over non-linear contracts before selling to consumers. We show that vertical integration always increases the incentives ...
We discuss the main theories of harm in EU merger control and their evolution since the 1990s. We present stylized facts and trends using data extracted from EU merger decisions by natural language processing tools. EU merger policy has adapted over time, both in terms of legislation and theories of harm, as well as in terms of the investigative tools and evidence used. The introduction of the new ...
The article explores the effectiveness of divestitures as a remedy for upstream horizontal mergers in vertically related markets. We argue that competition authorities ignoring the asymmetric bargaining power between upstream and downstream firms when assessing the choice of the buyer of the divested brands is likely to implement an inadequate policy. First, a small buyer with high bargaining power ...
Die digitale Transformation verändert wirtschaftliche Abläufe auf tiefgreifende Art und Weise. Online-Plattformen bieten eine beispiellose Vielfalt an Produkten und Dienstleistungen an, während technologische Innovationen wie künstliche Intelligenz rasch entwickelt und in vielen Anwendungsbereichen eingesetzt werden. Gleichzeitig birgt der rasante Aufstieg digitaler Technologien zahlreiche Herausforderungen ...
Im Rahmen der Wettbewerbspolitik spielt neben dem Kartellverbot und der Missbrauchsaufsicht die Fusionskontrolle eine zentrale Rolle. Fusionen zwischen großen Herstellern beeinflussen typischerweise den Wettbewerb und müssen daher von den Wettbewerbsbehörden genehmigt werden. Dabei sind Entflechtungen, bei denen die fusionierenden Unternehmen Unternehmensbeteiligungen oder Marken abgeben müssen, eine ...