Effect of market structure on international coal trade

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5239843

Kolstad, C D; Abbey, D S

This paper is concerned with the determinants of international steam-coal trade. Most work in projecting coal trade has been either qualitative (a consensus of experts) or, if quantitative, has been based on competitive spatial-equilibrium models. Unfortunately, the competitive model of trade does not appear to account for observed and anticipated trade flows. This is consistent with findings in the commodity trade literature that, although markets may behave in a rational economic fashion, market concentration among producers, traders, and consumers leads to trade patterns significantly different than those associated with competitive markets. The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance and effect on patterns of steam-coal trade of several deviations from the simple competitive model. In addition to perfect competition, we examine monopoly (South Africa) and duopoly (South Africa, Australia) with a competitive fringe (US, Canada, Poland, China and Columbia). Using a simple equilibrium model of coal trade, we examine these market structures and evaluate the extent to which they can explain existing and anticipated trade patterns.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5239843
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-82-2039; CONF-8206105-1; ON: DE82019562
• Resource Relation: Conference: IEEE conference, Oxford, UK, 28 Jun 1982
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
COAL
TRADE
AUSTRALIA
CANADA
CHINA
COAL INDUSTRY
COLOMBIA
COMPETITION
GLOBAL ASPECTS
MARKET
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POLAND
SOUTH AFRICA
USA
AFRICA
ASIA
AUSTRALASIA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EASTERN EUROPE
ENERGY SOURCES
EUROPE
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INDUSTRY
LATIN AMERICA
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
015000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
294001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Coal