China is a major producer of grains, such as
wheat, corn, and rice. Some years ago, the Chinese
government, concerned that grain exports were
driving up food prices for domestic consumers,
imposed a tax on grain exports.
a. Draw the graph that describes the market for grain
in an exporting country. Use this graph as the
starting point to answer the following questions.
b. How does an export tax affect domestic grain
prices?
c. How does it affect the welfare of domestic
consumers, the welfare of domestic producers,
and government revenue?
d. What happens to total welfare in China, as
measured by the sum of consumer surplus,
producer surplus, and tax revenue?
