As consumers in countries around the world become increasingly aware of and sensitive to the products that their foreign counterparts consume, a natural question is what predictions do classic trade frameworks hold when incorporating social comparison-based preferences? We analyze this question in a general equilibrium framework for a two-country, two-good world, in which the gap between domestic and foreign consumption of a product can enter into the representative consumer’s utility function. We consider nine exhaustive social comparison scenarios, which differ based upon the combination and origin of products that consumers of each country hold a social comparison over. We show that Home Comparison preference (social comparison over the home-produced good) unilaterally brings consumption and welfare benefits to the home country, and global welfare is enhanced when both countries maintain such preferences (Dual Home Comparison). Moreover, Foreign Envy (social comparison over the foreign-produced good) is disadvantageous to the home country, contributing negatively to welfare when the other country either prefers its own produced good or has no particular social preference. Mutual Foreign Envy however, tends to contribute positively to global welfare. Our analysis helps to explain the social welfare incentives of policy-makers in promoting cross-country comparisons of domestic goods among their own consumers, while advocating domestically produced goods as status symbols abroad.

中文翻译：

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具有社会比较的国际贸易

随着世界各国的消费者对其外国同行消费的产品越来越了解和敏感，一个自然的问题是，在纳入基于社会比较的偏好时，经典贸易框架会做出什么样的预测？我们在一个两国、两种好世界的一般均衡框架中分析这个问题，其中一种产品的国内和国外消费之间的差距可以进入代表性消费者的效用函数。我们考虑了九种详尽的社会比较场景，它们因每个国家的消费者进行社会比较的产品组合和来源而异。我们表明家庭比较偏好（对本国生产的商品的社会比较）单方面给本国带来消费和福利，当两国保持这种偏好时，全球福利就会提高（双重家庭比较）。此外，外国嫉妒（对外国生产的商品的社会比较）对本国不利，当另一国更喜欢自己生产的商品或没有特别的社会偏好时，会对福利产生负面影响。然而，相互的外国嫉妒往往对全球福利做出积极贡献。我们的分析有助于解释政策制定者在促进本国消费者对国内商品进行跨国比较，同时提倡将国产商品作为国外身份象征时的社会福利动机。外国嫉妒（对外国生产的商品的社会比较）对本国不利，当另一国更喜欢自己生产的商品或没有特别的社会偏好时，会对福利产生负面影响。然而，相互的外国嫉妒往往对全球福利做出积极贡献。我们的分析有助于解释政策制定者在促进本国消费者对国内商品进行跨国比较，同时提倡将国产商品作为国外身份象征时的社会福利动机。外国嫉妒（对外国生产的商品的社会比较）对本国不利，当另一国更喜欢自己生产的商品或没有特别的社会偏好时，会对福利产生负面影响。然而，相互的外国嫉妒往往对全球福利做出积极贡献。我们的分析有助于解释政策制定者在促进本国消费者对国内商品进行跨国比较，同时提倡将国产商品作为国外身份象征时的社会福利动机。