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Question 3 (Monopolistic competition and international trade) Suppose that fixed costs for a firm in the automobile industry (start-up costs of factories, capital equipment, and
Question 3 (Monopolistic competition and international trade) Suppose that fixed costs for a firm in the automobile industry (start-up costs of factories, capital equipment, and so on) are $5 billion and that variable costs are equal to $15,000 per finished automobile. Because more firms increase competition in the market, the market price falls as more firms enter an automobile market, or specifically, P = 15,000 + (150/m), where n represents the number of firms in a market. Assume the size of the U.S. and the European automobile markets are 330 million and 445 million, respectively. (a) Calculate the equilibrium number of firms in the U.S. and European automobile markets without trade. (Hint: the number of firms must be an integer. See footnote 8 in Chapter 8.) (b) What is the equilibrium price of automobiles in the United States and Europe if the automobile industry is closed to foreign trade? (c) Now suppose the United States decides on free trade in automobiles with Europe. The trade agreement with the Europeans adds 445 million consumers to the automobile market, in addition to the 330 million in the United States. How many automobile firms will there be in the United States and Europe combined? What will be the new equilibrium price of automobiles
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