<p>Krugman, Obstfeld and Melitz - International Trade: Theory and Policy, is a good textbook. My professor used it to supplement his course on International Trade (advanced undergraduate level). Even though he did not follow the textbook closely, I enjoyed reading the full chapters, and it contributed to my understanding of the issues. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T12:35:15.077Z
Downvote by me. There is nothing wrong with the answer, I just don't think Krugman et.  al.  is a good book, as the assumptions made are frequently unclear. However it is well known and liked by many people, so I am probably in the minority.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T14:30:07.107Z
I respect your opinion, but I do not remember the assumptions being unclear in that textbook. And I usually get prickly when assumptions aren't clearly stated.
hrrrrrr5602
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T17:05:03.960Z
I think in the chapters on the Ricardian model and the Heckscher-Ohlin model Krugman never explains that the results only hold if the utility functions are homothetic, which is a very strong assumption. In case of the Heckscher-Ohlin model it is also necessary to assume that both countries' productions are inner points, which is not necessarily true.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T18:22:01.120Z
Okay, I agree that those are important assumptions, but I find that it is not unreasonable to leave them out for an advanced undergraduate textbook. Those are typically things whose mathematical justification one only first encounters in graduate level micro-economics. Thanks for your clarification though.
hrrrrrr5602
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T12:01:47.993Z
2019-01-18T12:01:47.993Z
hrrrrrr5602
<p><a href="https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/International-Economics/?K=9781319127640" rel="nofollow noreferrer">International Economics</a> by Alan M. Taylor and Robert C. Feenstra is a good alternative, as <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/International+Trade-p-9780470408797" rel="nofollow noreferrer">International Trade</a> by John Mclaren, which is more original.</p>

<p>If you look for a more advanced textbook, which discusses the underlying assumptions of the trade models, the reference is <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/titles/10615.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Advanced International Trade</a> by Robert C. Feenstra.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-18T20:58:50.937Z
2019-01-18T20:58:50.937Z
emeryville
<p>My professor for Int. Trade insists on using his unfinished notes as a basis for the class, so I'm looking for an alternative.</p>

<p>The syllabus goes as follows:</p>

<p>Gains from trade</p>

<p>Free trade equilibrium and offer curves</p>

<p>Applications of the basic trade model
Tariffs and welfare</p>

<p>Trade preferences</p>

<p>The Ricardian model</p>

<p>The hecksher ohlin model- fixed coefficients</p>

<p>The theory of international capital flows</p>

<p>As background: by this point we've had a few micro and macro courses, industrial organization, public economics, game theory, optimization, and linear algebra.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

<international-trade>
What's a good textbook on International Trade?
Pablo Derbez
# What's a good textbook on International Trade?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-18)

My professor for Int. Trade insists on using his unfinished notes as a basis for the class, so I'm looking for an alternative.

The syllabus goes as follows:

Gains from trade

Free trade equilibrium and offer curves

Applications of the basic trade model
Tariffs and welfare

Trade preferences

The Ricardian model

The hecksher ohlin model- fixed coefficients

The theory of international capital flows

As background: by this point we've had a few micro and macro courses, industrial organization, public economics, game theory, optimization, and linear algebra.

Thanks in advance

**Tags:** international-trade

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-01-18. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

[International Economics](https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/International-Economics/?K=9781319127640) by Alan M. Taylor and Robert C. Feenstra is a good alternative, as [International Trade](https://www.wiley.com/en-us/International+Trade-p-9780470408797) by John Mclaren, which is more original.

If you look for a more advanced textbook, which discusses the underlying assumptions of the trade models, the reference is [Advanced International Trade](https://press.princeton.edu/titles/10615.html) by Robert C. Feenstra.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-01-18. Score: 1

Krugman, Obstfeld and Melitz - International Trade: Theory and Policy, is a good textbook. My professor used it to supplement his course on International Trade (advanced undergraduate level). Even though he did not follow the textbook closely, I enjoyed reading the full chapters, and it contributed to my understanding of the issues.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Downvote by me. There is nothing wrong with the answer, I just don't think Krugman et.  al.  is a good book, as the assumptions made are frequently unclear. However it is well known and liked by many people, so I am probably in the minority.  
> **username_1**: I respect your opinion, but I do not remember the assumptions being unclear in that textbook. And I usually get prickly when assumptions aren't clearly stated.  
> **username_2**: I think in the chapters on the Ricardian model and the Heckscher-Ohlin model Krugman never explains that the results only hold if the utility functions are homothetic, which is a very strong assumption. In case of the Heckscher-Ohlin model it is also necessary to assume that both countries' productions are inner points, which is not necessarily true.  
> **username_1**: Okay, I agree that those are important assumptions, but I find that it is not unreasonable to leave them out for an advanced undergraduate textbook. Those are typically things whose mathematical justification one only first encounters in graduate level micro-economics. Thanks for your clarification though.  

---

