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The Implementation Of Subsidies In A Specific Industry

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The implementation of subsidies in a specific industry cause major distortions in the market. The distortions are created because the subsidy creates a rent that is unable to be competed away. The rent that is generated is especially problematic when considering subsidies that are only available to current firms in the industry. The firms that join the industry after the subsidy is implemented are unable to compete with the lower price created by the subsidy. The benefit that the producer receives from the subsidy causes a gain in profit in the short run which the firms want to maintain into the long run. Furthermore, in the long run, since this surplus is considered a rent, the firms who receive the surplus are much better off than the …show more content…

In the short run, the firms who are given the subsidy are making normal profit as well as a rent. Likewise, even though the cost of production is lower for the firms who obtain the subsidy, the price that the firm charges for the product is lower than the natural equilibrium price set by the market. If the subsidized firms were to charge P1, the firms that receive the subsidy would earn a larger normal profit and a larger rent. However, it is not likely that the firms are able to charge a price of P1 because the industry is considered to be perfectly competitive. Perfect competition implies that even though the companies could earn an economic profit by charging P1, it is not likely that they would trust each other enough to increase the price. Charging P1 also defeats the whole purpose of the subsidy because subsidies are often given to benefit the consumer and lower the price rather than benefit the producer so they can earn more of a profit. At point B on the market graph, the market is at the ending point equilibrium because there are no further changes that can be made to the market. This stagnation is due to the lack of incentive to join the biofuel industry because of lack of normal and economic profit for new firms who would not benefit from the subsidy. Because no firms enter, the price cannot shift due to more competition in the market.

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