ECON 1269 - INTERNATIONAL TRADE Semester 3- 2021   ASSIGNMENT 2   Ready for Life and Work:   In order to be able to write relevant, accurate and significant reports, the students will need to assess real life situations and make conclusions based on appropriate theoretical frameworks

ECON 1269 - INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Semester 3- 2021

ASSIGNMENT 2

Ready for Life and Work:

• In order to be able to write relevant, accurate and significant reports, the students will need to assess real life situations and make conclusions based on appropriate theoretical frameworks.  
• To train the researching method, the student will need to find the relevant information and discriminate high value sources from low quality sources.  
• All this will allow students to gain the skill of producing high quality work requested by the management of firms to make informed and correct decisions on trade questions.  

Learning outcomes covered in this assignment: 

1. Manipulate economic models to analyse real world issues in international trade.
2. Examine international trade data to critically discuss economic theorems and apply in diverse contexts.
3. Analyse the fundamental determinants of the size and pattern of trade to verify its determinants and its effects on the wider economy/welfare.

1500 words

Requirements: Rice and Coffee Industry in Vietnam

1. [12 points, wordcount recommendation: approx. 600-700 words]

1. Gather export data on Vietnam’s rice and coffee industry from 2015-2021, including the types of rice/coffee exported, main recipient countries and also imports of rice/coffee into Vietnam. Analyse market structure and the main determinants for Vietnam’s market for rice and coffee. (4 points)

2. Gather data on wage and employment in the rice and coffee industry for 20152021. Use the specific factor model to illustrate both industries together. Provide a drawing that resembles the reality as closely as possible. (4 points)

3. Theoretical question: Assume that the Vietnamese government is considering to allow foreign unskilled workers to enter Vietnam in order to work in the rice industry. These workers would not be allowed to work in any other industry. How would this affect the rice and coffee industry in the model framework that you presented in b)? Provide a graph. Explain your answer. Provide a recommendation to the Vietnamese government whether they should allow this measure, based on your findings. (4 points)

2. [18 points, wordcount recommendation: approx. 700-800 words]

1. Discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic affected the rice and coffee industry in Vietnam. (4 points)

2. Review the RCEP agreement and present the decisions on the coffee and rice market in condensed form. (4 points)

3. In context of the RCEP: how is the rice and coffee market in Vietnam affected by the rules of origin and the commercialization of processed goods? (4 points)

4. Based on your findings in a) and b): provide a forecast on the situation of the rice and coffee industry for Vietnam for the upcoming years. Discuss if you would recommend to an investor to rather invest into the rice or the coffee industry in Vietnam and why. (6 points)