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The Importance of Non-Price Competitiveness: Oil Downstream Sector in Europe
Sláma, Ondřej ; Baxa, Jaromír (advisor) ; Paulus, Michal (referee)
This thesis investigates the role of price and non-price competitiveness factors using a relative export price index, introduced by Benkovskis and Wörz (2016), that is adjusted for changes in quality and taste. First, we replicate their model employing an updated dataset, confirming previous results. Then, the framework is used to study the recent developments in the Europe's oil product market. Given the saturation of the market, decreasing demand, and converging prices, importance of non-price competitiveness factors, such as quality, increases. The results suggest that the problems of the underinvested oil downstream industry in Northwestern European producers are caused not only by decreasing aggregate demand, high costs, and low margins, but by non-price competitiveness factors as well. We find profound improvements in product quality in CEE countries, following substantial investments into the sector and market consolidation. Both regions are at risk of rising imports of high-quality products from the Middle East, Russia and USA. This thesis provides a comprehensive picture of price and non-price competitiveness developments of all players in the highly competitive European oil downstream market.
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The Impact of Devaluation through Price and Non-Price Competitiveness on Trade Balance
Celac, Mariana ; Mejstřík, Michal (advisor) ; Patáková, Magdalena (referee)
This thesis examines the relationship between the real exchange rate and trade balance in eight countries with different level of development for the period 1991- 2012. Using merely exchange rate to improve the trade balance refers to price- competitiveness and relies on the satisfaction of Marshall-Lerner condition. Additionally, we articulate the influence of other underlying factors, defined as "non- price competitiveness", proxied with capital stock variable. A Vector Error Correction Model, based on Johansen's Methodology was implemented in our two econometric specifications. The key findings of the classical trade model indicate that M-L condition is met in five countries and devaluation of domestic currency would improve their trade balance in long run. VECM results from second model, which extended the traditional imperfect substitutes framework to include non-price competitiveness factor, shows pronounced influence of product quality on trade balance, capital stock variable being significant in most of the cases. The results show that trade balance reacts to both changes in relative prices and product differentiation, thus non-price competitiveness factors must not be neglected by policy makers. Our findings also indicate the existence of J-curve pattern, as reflected by short-run...
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