Climate, trade, Obama - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com - The Diigo Meta page

• 21 Jul 09
  

  flyingkumquat
  • If you only impose restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from domestic sources, you give consumers no incentive to avoid purchasing products that cause emissions in other countries; as a result, you have an inefficient outcome even from a world point of view. So border adjustments here are entirely legitimate in terms of basic economics.
  • And they’re also probably OK under trade law. The WTO has looked at the issue, and suggests that carbon tariffs may be viewed the same way as border adjustments associated with value-added taxes. It has long been accepted that a VAT is essentially a sales tax — a tax on consumers — which for administrative reasons is collected from producers. Because it’s essentially a tax on consumers, it’s legal, and also economically efficient, to collect it on imported goods as well as domestic production; it’s a matter of leveling the playing field, not protectionism.
• 30 Jun 09
  

  valtron29
  • “border adjustment” — or tariff — on certain goods from countries that do not act to limit their global warming emissions. The president can waive the tariffs only if he receives explicit permission from Congress.
  • to level the international playing field with regard to implementing “border adjustments” designed to compensate for changes in domestic policies?
• 29 Jun 09
  

  W21st NYC

  climate change climate policy Obama carbon tax

• 

  tony curzon price

  economics environment

  • Climate, trade, Obama
• 

  nspalmer

  Paul Krugman makes good sense about aligning economic policies with non-economic objectives, such as food self-sufficiency or (in this case) encouraging other countries to limit their greenhouse-gas emissions.

  krugman nytimes economics environment global warming international trade

• 

  jdmarch

  the non-economic objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, never mind their source. If you only impose restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from domestic sources, you give consumers no incentive to avoid purchasing products that cause emissions in other countries; as a result, you have an inefficient outcome even from a world point of view. So border adjustments here are entirely legitimate in terms of basic economics.

  environment economics

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