An Overview of the Japanese Distribution System: The Case of the Automobile Industry

March 1, 1994

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Format: Chicago

Sayuri Shirai. An Overview of the Japanese Distribution System: The Case of the Automobile Industry, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 1994) accessed December 26, 2024

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

This paper surveys the recent literature on the Japanese distribution system to consider two propositions: first, that the system is inefficient, and second that prices of imported products tend to be higher in Japan than in other markets. Most of the literature demonstrates that the system is efficient. However, the efficiency has not necessarily resulted in high social welfare as consumers have had limited access to various product lines or paid high prices for some products. This paper examines the distribution system in the automobile industry to promote understanding about the impacts of the system on price differentials.

Subject: Automobile industry, Economic sectors, Expenditure, Foreign corporations, Imports, International trade, Public expenditure review

Keywords: Automobile industry, Automobile parts price survey, Car dealer, Consumer goods, Dealer repair shops, Distribution margin, Europe, Foreign corporations, Import penetration, Imported product, Imported products, Imports, Price survey, Product price, Product variety, Public expenditure review, Representative importer, Sales volume, Sales-distribution keiretsu, Trade import, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

36
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 1994/026
Stock No:

WPIEA0261994
ISBN:

9781451844313
ISSN:

1018-5941

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