[go: up one dir, main page]

IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v52y2015ipap26-38.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The global markets for coking coal and iron ore — Complementary goods, integrated mining companies and strategic behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Hecking, Harald
  • Panke, Timo
Abstract
The global market for coking coal is linked to the global market for iron ore since both goods are complementary inputs in pig iron production. Moreover, international trade of both commodities is highly concentrated, with only a few large companies active on both input markets. Given this setting, the paper presented investigates the strategy of quantity-setting (Cournot) mining companies that own both a coking coal and an iron ore division. Do these firms optimize the divisions' output on a firm level or by each division separately (division-by-division)? First, using a theoretical model of two Cournot duopolies of complementary goods, we find that there exists a critical capacity constraint below/above at which firm-level optimization results in identical/superior profits compared with division-level optimization. Second, by applying a spatial multi-input equilibrium simulation model of the coking coal and iron ore markets, we find that due to the limited capacity firms gain no (substantial) additional benefit from optimizing output on a firm level.

Suggested Citation

  • Hecking, Harald & Panke, Timo, 2015. "The global markets for coking coal and iron ore — Complementary goods, integrated mining companies and strategic behavior," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(PA), pages 26-38.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:52:y:2015:i:pa:p:26-38
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2015.09.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988315002583
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.09.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lorenczik, Stefan & Panke, Timo, 2015. "Assessing Market Structures in Resource Markets - An Empirical Analysis of the Market for Metallurgical Coal Using Various Equilibrium Models," EWI Working Papers 2015-2, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    2. Toweh, Solomon H. & Newcomb, Richard T., 1991. "A spatial equilibrium analysis of world iron ore trade," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 236-248, September.
    3. Pierre-Olivier Pineau & Hasina Rasata & Georges Zaccour, 2011. "A Dynamic Oligopolistic Electricity Market with Interdependent Market Segments," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4), pages 183-218.
    4. Fiuza, Eduardo P.S. & Tito, Fabiana F.M., 2010. "Post-merger time series analysis: Iron ore mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 141-155, September.
    5. Stephen Labson, B., 1997. "Changing patterns of trade in the world iron ore and steel market: An econometric analysis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 237-251, June.
    6. Cathrine Hagem & Steffen Kallbekken & Ottar Mæstad & Hege Westskog, 2006. "Market Power with Interdependent Demand: Sale of Emission Permits and Natural Gas from Russia," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 34(2), pages 211-227, June.
    7. Hugo Sonnenschein, 1968. "The Dual of Duopoly Is Complementary Monopoly: or, Two of Cournot's Theories Are One," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 76(2), pages 316-316.
    8. Nirvikar Singh & Xavier Vives, 1984. "Price and Quantity Competition in a Differentiated Duopoly," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 15(4), pages 546-554, Winter.
    9. Salinger, Michael A, 1989. "The Meaning of "Upstream" and "Downstream" and the Implications for Modeling Vertical Mergers," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 373-387, June.
    10. Hackner, Jonas, 2000. "A Note on Price and Quantity Competition in Differentiated Oligopolies," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 233-239, August.
    11. Graham, Paul & Thorpe, Sally & Hogan, Lindsay, 1999. "Non-competitive market behaviour in the international coking coal market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 195-212, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guo, Sui & Li, Huajiao & An, Haizhong & Sun, Qingru & Hao, Xiaoqing & Liu, Yanxin, 2019. "Steel product prices transmission activities in the midstream industrial chain and global markets," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 56-71.
    2. Lorenczik, Stefan & Malischek, Raimund & Trüby, Johannes, 2017. "Modeling strategic investment decisions in spatial markets," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 256(2), pages 605-618.
    3. Berk, Istemi & Çam, Eren, 2020. "The shift in global crude oil market structure: A model-based analysis of the period 2013–2017," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    4. Berk, Istemi & Çam , Eren, 2019. "The Shift in Global Crude Oil Market Structure: A model-based analysis of the period 2013–2017," EWI Working Papers 2019-5, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    5. Bloomfield, Matthew J., 2021. "Compensation disclosures and strategic commitment: Evidence from revenue-based pay," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 620-643.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hecking, Harald & Panke, Timo, 2014. "Quantity-setting Oligopolies in Complementary Input Markets - the Case of Iron Ore and Coking Coal," EWI Working Papers 2014-6, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    2. Stephane Verani, 2006. "Open Source Development in a Differentiated Duopoly," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 06-05, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    3. Krzysztof Kosiec, 2016. "Liberalisation of International Trade – The Case of Asymmetric Countries," Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, Central European Journal of Economic Modelling and Econometrics, vol. 8(3), pages 143-160, September.
    4. Fanti, Luciano, 2013. "Cross-ownership and unions in a Cournot duopoly: When profits reduce with horizontal product differentiation," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 34-40.
    5. Claude d'Aspremont & Rodolphe Dos Santos Ferreira & Louis-André Gérard-Varet, 2007. "Competition For Market Share Or For Market Size: Oligopolistic Equilibria With Varying Competitive Toughness," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 48(3), pages 761-784, August.
    6. López, Mónica Correa & Nayor, Robin A., 2002. "The Cournot-Bertrand Profit Differential : A Reversal Result In A Differentiated Duopoly With Wage Bargaining," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 631, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    7. Aymeric Lardon, 2019. "On the coalitional stability of monopoly power in differentiated Bertrand and Cournot oligopolies," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 87(4), pages 421-449, November.
    8. Cumbul, Eray & Virág, Gábor, 2018. "Multilateral limit pricing in price-setting games," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 250-273.
    9. Ciprian Rusescu & Mihai Daniel - Roman, 2021. "Dynamic Behaviour In A Bertrand Model With Bounded Rational Players," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 3, pages 45-55, June.
    10. Sophie Bienenstock, 2016. "Consumer education: why the market doesn’t work," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 237-262, October.
    11. Mohamad Alghamdi, 2023. "Forming Stable R&D Networks in Different Market Structures," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 24(1), pages 91-117, May.
    12. Haufler, Andreas & Norbäck, Pehr-Johan & Persson, Lars, 2014. "Entrepreneurial innovations and taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 13-31.
    13. Fanti, Luciano & Gori, Luca, 2012. "The dynamics of a differentiated duopoly with quantity competition," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 421-427.
    14. Inderst, Roman & Wey, Christian, 2004. "The incentives for takeover in oligopoly," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(8-9), pages 1067-1089, November.
    15. Pal, Rupayan, 2015. "Cournot vs. Bertrand under relative performance delegation: Implications of positive and negative network externalities," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 94-101.
    16. Mukherjee, Arijit, 2005. "Price and quantity competition under free entry," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(4), pages 335-344, December.
    17. Alipranti, Maria & Milliou, Chrysovalantou & Petrakis, Emmanuel, 2014. "Price vs. quantity competition in a vertically related market," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 124(1), pages 122-126.
    18. Ki‐Dong Lee & Kangsik Choi, 2024. "Uniform versus discriminatory tariffs when competition mode is endogenous," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 95-120, January.
    19. Lopez, Monica Correa & Naylor, Robin A., 2001. "The Cournot-Bertrand Profit Differential: a reversal result in a differentiated duopoly with wage bargaining," Economic Research Papers 269405, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    20. Delbono, Flavio & Lambertini, Luca, 2016. "Ranking Bertrand, Cournot and supply function equilibria in oligopoly," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 73-78.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cournot oligopolies; Parallel vertical integration; Complementary inputs; Applied industrial organization; Mixed complementarity problem;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • Q31 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:52:y:2015:i:pa:p:26-38. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eneco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.