The Factor Proportions Theory by Eli Heckscher and Bertil Ohlin

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Theoretical analysis In 1930s Eli Heckscher and Bertil Ohlin developed the factor proportions theory which is also known as the Heckscher-Ohlin model. This theory holds that countries will produce and export products that use large amounts of production factors that they have in abundance, and they will import products requiring large amounts of production factors that they lack (Rugman&Collinson, 2009). The original H-O model is also called 2*2*2 model. Because it assumed that the only difference between countries was the relative abundances of labor and capital. The original H-O model contained two countries, and had two commodities that could be produced. For example, China has large amount of labor forces while America has large amount of capital. Under H-O theory, China will concentrate on producing labour-intensive goods and export to America, on contrast, America has relatively more capital than labour, will specialize in capital-intensive goods. There are many assumptions of the theory. Both countries in model have identical production technology. It assumes that the rates of availability of resources are same in different countries. What’s more, it assumes that the production output must have constant return to scale (CRS). In reality, the assumptions of the H-O model cannot be satisfied. In 1954, an econometric test by Wassily W. Leontief of the H-O model found that the US, despite having a relative abundance of capital, tended to export labour-intensive goods and import capital-intensive goods (wiki, 2012). This result is known as the Leontief paradox and has been explained in terms of the quality of labor input rather than just labor-hours of work. The two theories above explained the relationships between import a... ... middle of paper ... ...countries if the goods cannot meet the standards they set. Besides these, some other considerations may be counted. Employment, exchange rate, tariffs, quotas and other non-tariffs barriers may impact the comparativeness in one place. Tariffs are tax on goods that are shipped internationally. Government may set a high tariffs to protect dominate industry and employment. In recent years, solar energy becomes rising industry. America and China both want to export solar energy equipments. To protect local industry, America set a high tariff of import even a restriction of solar energy relative product import. Meanwhile, using the advantage of exchange rate and export duty refunds, China also encourages the local solar energy.These barriers impact the import and export action a lot. Not only has the availability of resources influenced the competitiveness in one place.

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