Unequal exchange and absolute cost advantage: evidence from the trade between Greece and Germany

Abstract

This article investigates the nature and the salient features of international trade between Greece and her major trading partner Germany. The analysis inspired by the classical theory of value and distribution and using input–output data spanning the period 1995–2011 shows that the German economy possesses absolute cost advantage in its trade with Greece which gives rise to unequal exchange in the sense of transfers of labour values from Greece to Germany.