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Improving a Deficit in the Balance of Payments Essay

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Discuss the alternative policies a government may use to improve a deficit in the Balance of Payments (BOP)

There are many ways a government can improve a deficit of the BOP.
First we must define the key terms. A deficit is the falling short of revenue as compared with expenditure; the amount of this deficiency; the amount required to make assets balance liabilities.

The Balance of payments is a record or overall statement of a country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, usually over a year.

Now it is clear what the question means it is important to understand what causes a deficit in the BOP. There is often a tendency for UK consumers to buy foreign output goods leading to an increase in the amount of …show more content…

Whilst other countries can make it difficult for firms to import by imposing restrictions and being deliberately bureaucratic.

Exchange control is another method; governments try and stop domestic consumers from spending too much on imports. They can do a number of things; they can restrict the amount of foreign currency available to the public, they can allow the exchange rate to drop by actively intervening. Domestic producers can lower their prices below the market equilibrium by making export subsidies.

The final method is tariffs. It can be defined as a tax on imports and is used to restrict imports and raise revenue for the government. The diagram (figure 1) shows the market price at Wp, Qs is how much they can supply the price and Qd is what the consumer demands. As Qd> Qs imports will come into the economy and satisfy demand.

A tariff is placed on the value of imports. This raises the value of imports as a result, domestic demand contracts and domestic supply expands. Home producers can supply more at a higher price, it gives them a competitive boost and the volume of imports reduced.

The effects will be dependant on price elasticity of demand and the price elasticity of supply. A tariff will have greater effect the more elastic the demand and supply. If demand is inelastic then the tariff will have little effect on the level of imports.

Whilst some would argue that by imposing these types of import

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