(A) Assume That There Are Only Two Firms in an Industry

question 11

Essay

(a) Assume that there are only two firms in an industry - a home firm and a foreign firm - and that the firms are competing in third-country markets. (You can have them competing in each other's domestic markets if you wish.) Explain a "reaction function diagram" for the two firms, including the definition of a "reaction function" in this context and a brief discussion of why the reaction functions slope as they do (although you do not need to derive the functions formally). Then use a reaction function diagram (possibly along with other diagrams) to explain how a "strategic trade policy" action by the home firm's government can potentially enhance the home firm's market share in third-country markets.
(b) Briefly explain, in a two-country setting, how tariff reaction functions of the two governments can be constructed. Then, in a broader context, briefly indicate why this type of "game" can lead to a need for multilateral trade negotiations (such as those sponsored by GATT/WTO).

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Definitions:

Contribution Margin Per Unit

The selling price per unit minus the variable cost per unit, representing the portion of sales revenue that is not consumed by variable costs and contributes to covering fixed costs.

Unit Selling Price

The price at which one unit of a product or service is sold to the customer.

Variable Cost

A variable cost changes in proportion to the level of output or activity, in contrast to a fixed cost which remains constant regardless of activity.