Skip to main content
Log in

The impact of removing corn subsidies in mexico: A general equilibrium assessment

  • Articles
  • Published:
Atlantic Economic Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of removing corn subsidies on the Mexican economy. More specifically, this paper employs a computable general equilibrium model of Mexico. The model will first simulate the economy's activity under the present conditions. Next, a simulation is conducted under the assumption that the present corn subsidies are reduced. The results are quite revealing. They indicate that while all income classes are initially made worse off, there is an increase in government income. These transfer payments could be targeted to displaced workers as well as the working poor who face inflationary pressures due to rising food costs. These findings also indicate that a decrease in subsidy levels will lead to a marked increase in saving and, consequently, economic investment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ballard, Charles L.; Fullerton, Don; Shoven, John B.; Whalley, John.A General Equilibrium Model for Tax Policy Evaluation, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banco de Mexico.The Mexican Economy: 1995, Mexico City, Mexico: Banco de Mexico, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbier, Edward B.; Burgess, Joanne C. “Economic Analysis of Deforestation in Mexico,” Working Paper No. 9406, Helsington, United Kingdom: Department of Environmental Economics and Environmental Management, June 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática.El Ingreso y Gasto Público en México, Aguascalientes, Mexico: INEGI, 1994a.

    Google Scholar 

  • __.Encuesta Nacional de Ingresos y Gastos de los Hogares, Aguascalientes, Mexico: INEGI, 1994b.

    Google Scholar 

  • __.Anuario Estadístico de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Aguascalientes, Mexico: INEGI, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Monetary Fund.International Financial Statistics, Washington DC: IMF, various issues.

  • Levy, Santiogo; van Wijnbergen, S. “Maize and Free Trade Agreement Between Mexico and the United States,”The World Bank Economic Review, 6, 1992a, pp. 481–502.

    Google Scholar 

  • __. “Transition Problems in Economic Reform: Agriculture in the Mexico-U.S. Free Trade Agreement,” Policy Research Working Paper No. 967, Washington, DC: World Bank, 1992b.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathiesen, L. “Computational Experience in Solving Equilibrium Models by a Sequence of Linear Complementary Problems,”Operations Research, 1985, pp. 1225–50.

  • Rutherford, Thomas. “Applied General Equilibrium Modeling with MPSGE as a GAMS Subsystem,” Working Paper No. 15, University of Colorado, 1992.

  • Shoven, John B.; Whalley, John. “Applied General Equilibrium Models of Taxation and International Trade,”Journal of Economic Literature, 22, September 1984, pp. 1007–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • __.Applying General Equilibrium, Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobarzo, Horacio A. “A General Equilibrium Analysis of the Gains from Trade for the Mexican Economy of a North American Free Trade Agreement,”The World Economy, 15, January 1992, pp. 83–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, R.; Francis, J.; Schumacher, B.Price Elasticities in International Trade, New York, NY: MacMillan, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank.Mexico: Agricultural Sector Report, Washington DC: World Bank, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Resources Institute.World Resources: 1990–1991, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Doroodian, K., Boyd, R. The impact of removing corn subsidies in mexico: A general equilibrium assessment. Atlantic Economic Journal 27, 150–169 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02300235

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02300235

Keywords

Navigation