High Tariffs Research Articles

Hybrid cogeneration-photovoltaic systems to reduce energy costs and carbon footprint in large shopping malls

Shopping malls are significant energy consumers due to their size, operational complexity, and the need to maintain comfortable environments for high foot traffic. This study investigates the energy demand of a large shopping mall in Brazil, comparing the economic and environmental impacts of using a diesel generator versus the national grid to meet energy needs. Despite high residential electricity tariffs, reliance on the national grid remains more cost-effective than diesel generators. To address both cost and sustainability challenges, the study proposes an optimized hybrid energy solution integrating cogeneration with photovoltaic (PV) energy generation. In this system, a diesel generator powers an absorption chiller to meet the mall's cooling demand, while solar power supplements the electricity supply. Advanced simulation tools, such as NPro and PVSOL, were employed to model energy demand and evaluate the proposed system's performance. Although the hybrid system requires a higher initial investment, its long-term benefits include lower operational costs, reduced reliance on diesel generators, and a significant decrease in carbon emissions. This approach not only aligns with global decarbonization goals but also demonstrates financial viability. By bridging the gap between economic feasibility and environmental responsibility, the study highlights the potential of hybrid systems as a sustainable and efficient energy solution for energy-intensive commercial spaces, offering a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

Turkey’s Trade and Foreign Direct Investment in Ethiopia: An Insight into Challenges from 2012-2023

The first decade of the 21st century marks a new phase in relations between Ethiopia and Turkey. During this period, relations between the two countries transformed into an unprecedented stage. The aim of this study is to examine the challenges of Ethio-Turkish economic relations from 2012 to 2023, with particular reference to trade and FDI. To attain its objectives, the study employed a qualitative research approach. Essentially, primary data were collected through key informant interviews, observation, and document reviews. Despite the growth in trade and foreign direct investment between the two countries, various challenges hinder the smooth operation of these economic ties. The main results of this study show that issues like changing exchange rates, lacking access to the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), corruption, inefficient government, high tariffs, infrastructure issues, companies that can't pay their debts, customs procedures, fluctuating exchange rates, and a lack of data were major problems for trade and investment between Ethiopia and Turkey. The findings of the study suggest that there are certain problems that need policy measures for further industrial development through attracting foreign direct investment.

Deploying solar photovoltaic through subsidies: An Australian case

Australia has garnered significant recognition for its leadership in residential solar energy adoption, driven by incentive programs like the Feed-in Tariff and the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Yet limited research has evaluated the policy's effects on residential solar photovoltaics in Australia. We thus examine how Feed-in tariff policies and different policy packages affect residential solar PV adoption using the quarterly data from July 2009 to June 2022. The benchmark results uncover that high Feed-in tariff rates, long-term contracts, and gross Feed-in tariff schemes substantially drive solar adoption in Australia. Still, the observed adverse relationship between cost and installed capacity highlights that upfront Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme subsidies effectively promote solar power. Our estimates may provide valuable implications for accelerating solar photovoltaic adoption and achieving renewable energy transitions in Australia.

Effect of Economic Policies on Business Travel in Brazil

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of economic policies on business travel in Brazil. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Economic policies in Brazil have significantly impacted business travel, particularly through changes in taxation, currency fluctuations, and infrastructure investment. The government's fiscal policies, such as tax reforms and high import tariffs, have increased the cost of doing business, leading to a reduction in both domestic and international business travel. Currency volatility, especially the depreciation of the Brazilian real, has made international travel more expensive for businesses, further dampening demand. Additionally, insufficient investment in transportation infrastructure, such as airports and roads, has contributed to inefficiencies, reducing the attractiveness of Brazil as a business travel destination. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Theory of planned behavior (TPB), institutional theory & economic theory of travel demand may be used to anchor future studies on the effect of economic policies on business travel in Brazil. Businesses would benefit from clearer guidelines on tax incentives related to travel, enabling them to plan and budget more effectively. The Brazilian government should consider revising tax policies to include specific incentives for business travel.

Crossing Boundaries: Analysing Corruption Dynamics At Nigeria-Benin Border Points

This study explores the dynamics and characteristics of border corruption at five key crossing points along the Nigeria-Benin border: Seme, Ilara, Hunbe, Owode-Apa, and Idiroko. A pilot survey conducted in June 2023 informed the theoretical framework, followed by a comprehensive nine-week field study from August to October 2023, involving 1,032 participants, including traders, crossers, commuters, smugglers, migrants, motorists and local community members. Data collection methods included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and non-participatory observations, providing an in-depth understanding of participants' experiences with corruption. The findings reveal a significant gender disparity, with 63.37% of participants being male, and indicate that corruption predominantly involves traders (29.27%) and crossers (24.42%). A notable prevalence of smuggling (49.03%) and immigration-related corruption (22.10%) suggests systemic collusion between customs officers, immigration officers and clients across these borders. The study identifies seven primary causes of border corruption: weak accountability (78%), high tariffs and lack of transparency (73%), lack of probity (64%), administrative corruption and nepotism (61%), generational transfer of corruption (58%), low automation levels (53%), and informal social networks (51%). Furthermore, the research underscores the interplay between coercion and collusion, with officials often extorting bribes while allowing illicit activities to proceed unchecked. Notably, social networks play a crucial role in facilitating corrupt transactions, as traders frequently establish ongoing relationships with border agents to ensure smoother operations. The research highlights that both traders and officials benefit from these corrupt practices, undermining government efforts to regulate trade and manage border security. The study emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to enhance transparency and accountability in border management processes, thereby addressing the entrenched corruption that undermines the integrity of cross-border activities in Nigeria

Cumulative Tariff Cost Rate and Structure in the Global Value Chain: A Theoretical and Empirical Study

Abstract This paper constructs a more unified measurement framework from the perspective of the Leontief inverse matrix and Ghosh inverse matrix (Ghosh). At the same time, referring to the four-term decomposition method of Leontief inverse matrix in Muradov (2016), this paper analyzes the structural decomposition of the cumulative tariff cost rate. Results show that (1) Overall, from 2000 to 2017, China’s cumulative tariff cost rate, direct tariff cost rate, and multi-stage tariff cost rate all showed a downward trend, and the decline was greater than that of other countries (regions). China has strictly fulfilled its WTO accession commitments and has greatly reduced the tariff rate on imported intermediate goods. (2) With China’s deep participation in the global value chain, the amplification effect of China’s tariffs has increased from 2.57 in 2000 to 3.17 in 2017, and there is a certain degree of “amplification effect” (above 1.5) in tariffs in all countries in the world. (3) From the perspective of the contribution rate of various countries in the world, China contributes the most to the global cumulative tariff cost rate, which is due to the complexity of the global production network structure, rather than the excessively high tariff rate imposed by China on imported intermediate goods. In terms of policy implications, if China did not take the initiative to reduce tariffs, the structural changes in the global production network would lead to a larger global cumulative tariff cost rate.

Optimal Scheduling of PV Panel Cleaning and Policy Implications Considering Uncertain Dusty Weather Conditions in the Middle East

Airborne dust easily accumulates on the top of solar panel surfaces and reduces the output power in arid regions. A commonly used mitigation solution for dust deposition issues is cleaning PV panels periodically. However, cleaning frequency affects the economic viability of solar PV systems, resulting in a trade-off between cleaning costs and energy loss costs. To address this issue, this study relates several metrics and develops a generic framework based on simulation and optimization to determine the optimal cleaning interval. Based on the computational tests, the optimal cleaning interval in Abu Dhabi is determined to be 34 days, which is longer than the currently recommended cleaning interval of 28 days. This study also identifies that energy recovery is responsive to decreases in unit cleaning costs in the presence of high electricity tariffs, whereas total cost savings show sensitivity when electricity tariffs are low. Finally, this study discusses energy policy implications by presenting an innovative concept involving the introduction of a cleaning subsidy which could reshape energy system cost dynamics, making PV systems economically competitive beyond the conventional levelized cost of electricity.

Bangladesh Trade Policy: Evolution, Current State, Future Directions

Trade policy is not a static phenomenon. In Bangladesh, the trade policy regime has evolved over the five decades since independence. The first two decades were lost decades as trade policy simply reflected a legacy of the past inward-looking import-substituting policy of pre-independent Bangladesh. Radical changes in trade policy and market orientation occurred during the 1990s, earning Bangladesh the moniker of “globaliser”. But liberalising policies soon gave way to resurgence of protection through high tariffs and para-tariffs. Trade policy dualism emerged with readymade garment (RMG) exports accorded a free trade channel while non-RMG exports operated under a highly restrictive and protectionist trade regime, which characterises the current state of trade policy. Given the evolving landscape of international trade, geopolitical fragmentation, creeping deglobalisation, and rising populism have been shaping global trade for nearly a decade. These could present potential challenges as well as some opportunities for Bangladesh’s future growth trajectory. As China+1 geopolynomics takes hold as a de-risking alternative to China-sourcing, our RMG industry is well placed to absorb part of the redirected additional demand given its wage competitiveness, underutilised production capacities, and capable swift-footed first-generation entrepreneurs.

Enhancing Urban Resilience through Strategic Parking Pricing in Jakarta’s Bus Rapid Transit Corridors

Although Jakarta has invested in various mass transport systems, these efforts have not successfully reduced private vehicle use. Due to this, this study aims to analyze the impact of implementing TransJakarta bus rapid transit corridor-based high parking tariffs on travel mode choice, including road- and rail-based public transport, ride-hailing, taxi, car, and motorcycle. Involving 478 private vehicle users and implementing a nested logit model, some variables, including respondents’ income, travel time, egress time, parking costs, parking distance, travel cost, and parking surcharge, are considered to understand to what extent these variables influence the use of proposed travel mode in the future. The nested logit model shows that not all variables significantly influence travel mode use, specifically related to rail-based public transport choice among motorcyclists. Meanwhile,parking distance insignificantly influences the choice of all travel modes except cars among car users. The results also indicate that increasing parking tariffs insignificantly influences the likelihood of both motorcyclists and car users shifting to public transport. Motorcyclists and car users tend to continue using motorcycles but change parking locations with higher tariffs. Additionally, some shifts towards ride-hailing services and TransJakarta Bus Rapid Transit are found, meaning that there is potential for these alternatives to play a significant role in reducing private vehicle use. Based on the model results, additional push-based policies, such as the odd-even license plate rule, are necessary to effectively support the transition from private vehicle use to public transport. Implementing these policies is expected to significantly contribute to reducing traffic congestion and promoting a sustainable and resilient urban environment.

Disentangling the Effects of the 2018-2019 Tariffs on a Globally Connected U.S. Manufacturing Sector

Abstract This paper estimates the relationship between the U.S. tariff increases of 2018-2019 and outcomes in domestic manufacturing. Despite being intended to boost manufacturing activity, we find U.S. industries more exposed to tariff increases experience relative reductions in employment, as a small positive effect from import protection is offset by larger negative effects from rising input costs and retaliatory tariffs. Higher tariffs are also associated with relative increases in producer prices due to rising input costs. Lastly, we document broader labor market impacts, as counties more exposed to rising tariffs exhibit relative increases in unemployment and declines in labor force participation.

Water, energy, and food nexus in a solar-powered brackish water desalination plant in Jordan

Abstract The growing demand for water in domestic, agricultural, and energy production applications poses a significant challenge for Jordan. This work assesses the role of brackish water desalination as an alternative to alleviate water scarcity in semi-arid regions. Desalination is still limited in its application in Jordan due to high electricity tariffs. Shifting to renewable sources such as solar energy, abundant in the country, is a feasible way to power technologies with a high energy demand. In this work, we study the brackish water desalination plant at the Hashemite University in Jordan that is powered by a photovoltaic (PV) solar system (the HU PV-BWRO). The plant’s performance was evaluated in the context of the water-energy nexus as a hybrid water supply solution. While this work integrates essential elements, such as water availability, technical options, economic viability, and agricultural management, the analysis primarily focuses on the technical and economic aspects related to water, energy, and food. Water assessment results indicate that the groundwater wells near the HU campus are at risk of quality degradation over time, as they have shown a slight increasing trend in salinization from 2015 to 2023. Energy assessment results show a promising performance from the HU PV-BWRO desalination plant, with a specific energy consumption (SEC) value of 1.2 kWh m−3 (140% to 400% less energy consumption compared with other Jordanian desalination plants of similar capacity). Unit price comparisons indicate that the energy cost of PV (0.042 USD/m3) is 5 times less than the cost of grid electricity (0.24 USD/m3). The operational cost of the solar desalination plant at full capacity, is USD 0.23/m3. This is about 260% less than the operation cost for local, grid-powered desalination plants. Finally, it is estimated that by operating the plant at 50% of its total capacity, the produced water could be sufficient to irrigate up to 80% of the HU campus to increase agricultural production. This study highlights the importance of decreasing reliance on energy for water and food production, and it shows that the use of solar powered desalination could be used as an example in semi-arid regions, particularly in terms of integrating renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Way the U.S. Balances Ideology and National Interest in Foreign Policy from the Perspective of Encouraging and Restricting Foreign Investment

In recent years, the US has imposed a series of initiatives such as high tariffs on China and even its Western allies, etc. Especially in 2018, the US introduced the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, which further strengthened the security review of foreign investment, resulting in non-US companies with advantages being restricted from investing in the US. This paper argues that whether the US encourages or restricts local investment by companies from different countries is still a direct reflection of its foreign policy towards different countries, which has always oscillated between idealism and realism. Whether or not to pursue the ideological attitude of foreign investment, mainly depends on its security and economic goals, values of the goal of maximizing the interests of the integrated consideration, and its pursuit of strategic interests is above the pursuit of ideological goals. This paper will cite decades of U.S. treatment of investment enterprises in different countries, as well as whether the technological level of different enterprises let the U.S. feel the pressure of specific cases to analyze how the U.S. balance of ideology and national interests. Therefore, the consistency and conflict between foreign investment and U.S. national interests determine the realist position of the U.S. in the security review of foreign investment, i.e., to maximize U.S. national interests by seeking to obtain a balance between national interests and the transmission of ideology in the review.

Green light or black flag? Greenwashing environmental sustainability in Formula One and Formula E

ABSTRACT Historically, Formula One motor racing has had a deleterious environmental impact: burning fossil fuels, the wanton waste of resources while producing a complex global carbon footprint. However, as global concerns and expectations have escalated around environmental sustainability, Formula One has advanced what is largely superficial and deceitful ‘green' credentials via perfunctory hybrid technologies and promulgating piecemeal sustainability strategies. In doing so, Formula One harnessed the considerable symbolic power of its global brand to popularise a largely superficial approach to sustainability, while focusing on its own global expansion and growth. Formula E is similarly premised on purportedly more sustainable ‘green' technologies. Nonetheless, the sport’s environmental credentials are also contestable, due to its constitutive partnerships with high—tariff environmental polluters, as well as the efficiency of the electric and battery technologies that it promotes. Via greenwashing rhetoric and practices, this article explores the symbolic power both sports espouse through notions of sustainability.

Trade Wars, Nominal Rigidities, and Monetary Policy

Abstract This paper shows that the outcome of trade wars for tariffs and welfare will be affected by the monetary policy regime. The key message is that trade policy interacts with monetary policy in a way that magnifies the welfare costs of discretionary monetary policy in an international setting. If countries follow monetary policies of flexible inflation targeting, trade wars are relatively mild, with low equilibrium tariffs and small welfare costs. Discretionary monetary policies imply much higher tariffs, high inflation rates, and substantially larger welfare costs. We quantify the effects of a global trade war among major economies using estimates of trade elasticities, economic size, net foreign assets, and trade openness. We find large welfare benefits of an inflation targeting monetary policy for all countries.

Policies Affecting the Efficiency of Beef Production in Alberta: A Supply Chain Analysis

Shoppers face high beef prices at the supermarket, but those prices are not a reflection of what Canadian farmers and ranchers earn from their cow-calf herds. In the past 30 years, the average beef producer’s operating margin has never reached $50,000, despite the fact that the average beef farm’s asset base stands at more than $2 million. Better access to export markets, including the U.S., South Asia and North Africa, would help to remedy the producers poor returns. Export prices would need to cover production costs, the largest of which is feed for the producers’ cattle herds, accounting for 77 per cent of the average ranch’s cash costs. As of July 2023, Alberta’s herd consisted of 1.77 million beef and dairy cows. With demand for livestock-derived food expected to jump by 38 per cent in the next 30 years, Canadian cattle ranchers need to take advantage of this global increase through freer trade. Canadian beef can remain competitive globally if the supply chain accesses world markets beyond the U.S., especially in developing countries where consumer incomes are increasing. The industry also needs investments in research, farm extension and supply chain co-ordination from national and provincial self-funded producer groups. Producers must look outward to global trade but be ready to capture new innovations at home. The dominant economies of scale are available to beef processors and finding savings is difficult for farmers and ranchers. However, there is potential for the supply chain to see savings from new technology, which is why investment in continuing support for ranch-level production research is necessary. Producers also need to focus on national co-ordination aimed at protecting trade access and responding to trends in consumer demand for beef. Any new industry policies must also consider key factors that currently affect market demand and expansion including: changing consumer preferences globally, the welfare of animals raised for slaughter and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on supply chain sustainability. As some of the output and byproducts of the grain production sector provide feed for cattle, policies meant to support the grain sector may be indirectly influencing the beef sector significantly — for good and bad. Infrastructure required for worker safety, animal welfare improvements or improved food safety also adds to the cost of the beef supply. Protectionist trends and increased tariffs pose a threat to the supply chain because they too can create new costs. This is why access to foreign markets is crucial for producers, along with continued investment in research, sector-wide co-ordination to support market access and reviewing crop support to ensure livestock producers are compensated if grain policy changes harm them. Although live animals and much processed Canadian beef are exported to the U.S., fostering good trade relations in Asia and Africa is vital, given the growth in incomes and consumer demand for beef that is predicted for those regions. Free trade is the basis of good agriculture policy and any move towards protectionist policies and higher tariffs is the biggest threat for new costs in the supply chain. Canada’s beef sector requires low-cost access to foreign markets, making free trade policy the single most important policy focus for the sector.

Impact of CBAM on carbon emission reduction in global steel foreign trade: projections based on the embodied carbon emission intensity of major countries

ABSTRACT The EU devised the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), under which carbon tariffs will be applied on select imports of carbon-concentrated goods after 2026 depending on embodied carbon emissions. The EU’s steel policy surely affects the global steel trade as it is the largest importer of steel in the world, and to promote the development of carbon-reducing technologies because of their high carbon tariffs. To determine the impact of CBAM on the embodied carbon emissions in global steel trade, use a multi-regional input-output model to calculate the embodied carbon emissions in the trade of major steel producing economies, and then project the embodied carbon emissions intensity of these economies during the period of 2026–2034 by the Bat Algorithm Optimized Extreme Learning Machine based on the decomposed drivers when CBAM is gradually implemented. After the duty-free quota is eliminated in 2034, CBAM can encourage the major steel producing economies to reduce the embodied carbon emissions in the steel exports to the EU by 25.9 million tons and the embodied carbon emissions in the steel exports to the whole world by 625.9 million tons annually, which is a reduction of 31% and 21% comparing with the no-CBAM scenario respectively. Make some recommendations based on the calculations discussed above and the typical analysis of each economy.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Ocean Thermal Energy Resource of the Pacific Islands

A lack of natural resources drives the oil dependency in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), hampering energy security and imposing high electricity tariffs in the region. Nevertheless, the Western Equatorial Pacific is known for its large Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and deep-sea water (DSW) temperature difference favorable for harvesting thermal energy. In this study, we selected 18 PICTs in the western Equatorial Pacific to estimate Annual Energy Production (AEP) for a 1 MW class Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant. We combined the DSW temperature from the mean in situ Argo profiles and 1 km resolution satellite SST data to estimate the thermal energy resource resolving the fine features of the island coastline. Furthermore, the twenty-year-long SST dataset was used to analyze the SST variability. The analysis showed that Equatorial islands and Southern islands have the highest inter-annual variability due to El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The power density varied from 0.26 to 0.32 W/m2 among the islands, with the lowest values found for the southernmost islands near the South Equatorial Countercurrent. Islands within the South Equatorial Current, Equatorial Undercurrent, and North Equatorial Countercurrent showed the highest values for both power density and gross power. Considering a 1 MW class OTEC plant, Annual Energy Production (AEP) in 2022 varied from 7 GWh to 8 GWh, with relatively low variability among islands near the Equator and in low latitudes. Considering the three variables, AEP, SST variability, and distance from the shore, Nauru is a potential candidate for OTEC, with a net power of 1.14 MW within 1 km from the shore.

Utilization of Anaerobic Co-Digestion for Biogas Production for Institutional Cooking: A Case of Nkumbi International College

Studies have linked the use of wood fuel to deforestation leading to greenhouse gas emissions which cause climate change. Despite these concerns, some institutions located in the rural areas of Zambia like boarding schools and colleges still use firewood as a fuel for cooking and heating. Additionally, electricity, where available, is usually based on fossil fuel combustion, and often has high tariffs if connected to the national electricity grid and is also unreliable. On the other hand, biogas produced from animal and other organic wastes has demonstrated to be a cleaner alternative source of energy that can be used for cooking and supply of heat. A case of Nkumbi international college was selected to consider the economic viability of using the animal and agriculture waste from the institutional farm as a feedstock in an anaerobic co-digester to generate biogas for use as fuel for cooking to replace firewood and grid electricity, the current sources of energy for cooking. Results showed that installing a biogas system at the college and using the biogas to replace a combination of firewood and electricity is highly viable with a positive net present value of USD 19,747, a payback period of 3.1 years, and an internal rate of return of 35.5% over a period of 20 years.

Komoditas Dalam Skema Request - Offer Indonesia Dengan Taiwan: Analisis Inferensia Berdasarkan Database Tahun 2019

Bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Taiwan has better growth every year, while import tariffs imposed by Taiwan on Indonesia export commodities are still relatively high. This study aims to identify and analyze commodities included in the request-offer scheme between Indonesia and Taiwan based on 2019 database. Identification and analysis of annual growth value, equivalent ad valorem tariff, average export value, export share, average Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, and RCA trend are carried out through inferential analysis. Inferential analysis is needed to determine the commodities contained in the request-offer scheme of Indonesia and Taiwan that have good performance but are still subject to high import tariffs by their partner countries. Indonesia's export commodities to Taiwan which have a good performance while the import tariffs are still high are given by Taiwan to Indonesia as Indonesia's request scheme to Taiwan, namely: processed food (ofd); tobacco (b_t); vegetables, fruits, and nuts (v_f); and fishery commodities (fsh). Taiwan export commodities to Indonesia that have good performance but are still subject to high import tariffs by Indonesia are Indonesia's offer scheme to Taiwan, namely: manufacturing (lum); cosmetics (crp); miscellaneous edible preparations (ofd); and textiles (tex). Indonesia and Taiwan can increase bilateral cooperation in the field of international trade through barriers lowering schemes and transferring science and technology from each country.

Analysis of the Impact of Foreign Restriction Policies on the Development of New Energy Vehicles in China Based on DID Algorithm

The world is facing an energy and environmental crisis, and is therefore actively promoting energy conservation, emission reduction and green development, and new energy vehicles have thus become the focus of attention. These vehicles, which use electricity instead of oil, are crucial to achieving carbon neutrality and have gained global consensus. In recent years, new energy vehicles have led the transformation of the global automotive industry and contributed to the sustained growth of the world economy. China has achieved leapfrog development in this field, leading the world in terms of industry scale and technology, and its complete industrial chain has enhanced its leading position in the global transformation of automotive electrification. However, despite the fact that China's new energy vehicle industry chain is the most complete and has competitive advantages, it still faces challenges in exporting, such as high tariffs and restrictions in the US and Europe. In order to explore the impact of these boycott policies on China's new energy vehicle industry, this study constructs a double-difference model (DID) to analyze the impact of these policies with tariff rates of each country as the control variable, which is expected to provide valuable reference for China's new energy vehicle export strategy.