基于制度要素的比较优势理论拓展——以交易成本经济学为视角

An Expansion of Comparative Advantage Theory Based on the Factor of Institution:From the Perspective of Transaction Costs Economics

制度是在处理人与人的关系时整合资源的资源,交易成本是在资源整合过程中使用制度要素的代价或价值牺牲。国际贸易中的交易成本则是使用国际贸易制度的代价,包括信息搜寻、交易磋商、进出口合同签订、进出口合同履行、争议处理与索赔等过程中所涉及的各项成本。制度差异可以塑造比较优势,使用制度要素而表现出来的交易成本是一国比较优势的重要成本基础。纳入交易成本后,基于总成本的比较优势可增强、削弱、抵消甚至"逆转"一国基于纯粹生产成本的比较优势状况。因此,通过制度创新降低对外贸易中的交易成本,是一国增强自身商品比较优势的重要途径之一。

Institution is resources of integrating resources when dealing with relationship among people, transaction costs are the price or sacrificed value of using the factor of institution in the process of integrating resources. Transaction costs of international trade are costs of using its institution, which include costs in the process of information searching, business negotiation, sign of import & export contract, performance of import & export contract, dispute settlement and claim etc.. Institutional difference can shape the comparative advantage, transaction costs when using the factor of institution are the important cost basis of a country’s comparative advantage. The comparative advantage based on total cost which includes transaction costs can enhance, reduce, offset, or even reverse a country’s comparative advantage based on the pure production costs. Therefore, reducing transaction costs of foreign trade through institutional innovation is one of the important ways for a country to enhance comparative advantage of its commodities.