Search results for "Variable cost"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Strictly convex variable cost does not imply U-shaped average cost
2016
Abstract We show that strictly convex variable costs do not imply U-shaped average costs and provide a sufficient condition for U-shaped average costs. As an application we study endogenous entry when firms have market power and they have decreasing average cost but increasing marginal cost.
Efficient Port Pricing: A New Methodology Applied to Spanish Commercial Ports
2000
This paper presents a methodology for determining efficient tariffs for the services provided by commercial ports. With this method, efficient unit profits can be obtained for the services offered and their margins of sensitivity can be found. This allows port authorities to determine what actions should be taken with regard to tariffs and/or variable costs in order to optimise their economic results. At the same time, shadow prices of port resources and their limits of sensitivity can be obtained, thus providing port authorities with orientation regarding which resources should be augmented and by how much. In the early 90's, this methodology was applied to all Spanish commercial ports and…
Fixed Costs Per Shipment
2011
Exporting firms do not only decide how much of their products they ship abroad but also at which frequency. Doing so, they face a trade-off between saving on fixed costs per shipments (by shipping large amounts infrequently) and saving on storage costs (by delivering just in time with small and frequent shipments). The firm's optimal choice defines a mapping from size and frequency of shipments to fixed costs per shipment. We use a unique dataset of Swiss cross-border trade on the transaction level to analyze the size and shape of the underlying fixed costs. The data suggest that for the average Swiss exporter the fixed costs per shipment are economically important: 0.82 percent of the valu…
Regional Inequality and Product Variety
2005
We investigate how differences in set-up costs of various types affect the trade-off between global efficiency and spatial equity and show that the standard assumption of symmetry in fixed costs masks the existence of an interesting effect: the range of available varieties varies depends on the spatial distribution of firms. In such a setting, even when the market outcome leads to excessive agglomeration under symmetric fixed costs, a planner opts for asymmetric fixed costs and more agglomeration. The reason is that the losses induced by more agglomeration are offset by the gains due to additional product variety.
Asymmetric Demand Information and Foreign Direct Investment
2007
We examine the FDI versus exports decision of firms competing in an oligopolistic (quantitysetting) market under demand uncertainty and asymmetric information. Compared to a firm that chooses to export, a firm that chooses to set up a plant in the host market has superior information about local market demand. In addition to the well-known tension between the fixed set-up costs of investment, the additional variable costs of exports and oligopoly sizes, the incentive to invest abroad is explained by the strategic learning effect. FDI may be observed even if trade costs are zero. The analysis is robust to price competition and to the possibility that a foreign firm can engage in both FDI and…
Organic farming and economic sustainability: The case of Sicilian durum wheat
2014
In last years, the organic farming in the world is developing rapidly and Italy is the sixth country for organic area. Sicily is the main organic area of Italian territory and represents the first region for organic cereals. Among these durum wheat is the crop most widespread, especially in the hilly hinterland areas. The paper aims to analyze the economic sustainability of organic durum wheat. For this purpose, it has been determined the gross m argin of whea t within crop rotations of the Sici lian hilly hinterland, comparing 10 organic farms with 10 conventional farms. The results show a higher gross margin of organic wheat respect to conventional one, due to lower variable costs and hig…