Strategic Trade Policy and Merger Profitability

We study the profitability incentives of mergers and the endogenous industry structure in a strategic trade policy environment. Mergers change the strategic trade policy equlilibrium. We show here that mergers can be profitable and welfare-enhancing, even though they would not be profitable in a laissez-faire economy. A key element is the change in the governments' incentives to give subsidies to their local firms. A national merger induces more strategic trade policy, whereas an international merger does not