Tariff Passthrough at the Border and at the Store: Evidence from U.S. Trade Policy

Alberto  Cavallo; Gita  Gopinath; Brent  Neiman; Jenny  Tang

Working Paper | HBS Working Paper Series | 2020

Tariff Passthrough at the Border and at the Store: Evidence from U.S. Trade Policy

by Alberto Cavallo, Gita Gopinath, Brent Neiman and Jenny Tang

Abstract

We use micro data collected at the border and the store to characterize the price impact of recent US trade policy on importers, exporters, and consumers. At the border, import tariff passthrough is much higher than exchange rate passthrough. Chinese exporters did not lower their dollar prices by much, despite the recent appreciation of the dollar. By contrast, US exporters significantly lowered prices affected by foreign retaliatory tariffs. In US stores, the price impact is more limited, suggesting that retail margins have fallen. Our results imply that, so far, the tariffs' incidence has fallen in large part on US firms.

Keywords: Trade policy; tariffs; exchange rate passthrough; Economics; Trade; Policy; Inflation and Deflation; United States; China;

Language: English

Format: Print

47 pages

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Citation:

Cavallo, Alberto, Gita Gopinath, Brent Neiman, and Jenny Tang. "Tariff Passthrough at the Border and at the Store: Evidence from U.S. Trade Policy." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 26396, October 2019. (Revised June 2020. Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-041, October 2019)

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Replication Data and Code

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Case | HBS Case Collection | May 2020 (Revised June 2020)

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Global Economy (A)

Alberto Cavallo and Christian Godwin

In April 2020, the world struggled to contain the exponential escalation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Dozens of countries had imposed restrictions on travel, work, and social gatherings. A large share of the global population was under lockdowns and unprecedented supply and demand disruptions crippled the economy. In response, central banks announced massive lending programs to avoid a financial meltdown, and governments were launching unprecedented fiscal packages designed to contain the collapse. In a matter of weeks, the pandemic turned into one of the worst global economic crises since the Great Depression. As governments struggled to make policy decisions, uncertainty and tensions were rising. How to balance the public health and economic concerns? What would be the economic and political consequences of the policy response? Was this the end of globalization, or the beginning of a new era of international cooperation? The only certainty was that some of the hardest choices still lay ahead.

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Supply and Industry; Finance; Central Banking; Financial Markets; International Finance; Globalization; Government and Politics; Health Pandemics; Decision Making; Macroeconomics; Employment; Crisis Management; Supply Chain; Risk and Uncertainty; Air Transportation Industry; Banking Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Employment Industry; Financial Services Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Health Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Public Administration Industry; Retail Industry; Service Industry; Shipping Industry; Tourism Industry; Travel Industry; Asia; China; Europe; Latin America; Africa; United States;

Citation:

Cavallo, Alberto, and Christian Godwin. "The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Global Economy (A)." Harvard Business School Case 720-031, May 2020. (Revised June 2020.) View Details

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The Covid-19 Pandemic has led to changes in consumer expenditure patterns that can introduce significant bias in the measurement of CPI inflation. I use data collected from credit and debit transactions in the US to update the official basket weights. I find that the Covid inflation rate is higher for both headline and core CPIs, particularly for low-income households. I find similar results in 12 of 17 additional countries. The difference is growing over time as consumers spend relatively more on food and categories with rising inflation, and relatively less on transportation and categories experiencing significant deflation.

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Tariff Passthrough at the Border and at the Store: Evidence from U.S. Trade Policy

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