Introduction to International Trade

ECON 17100 • Spring 2026 • University of Chicago • Instructor
Syllabus
Key theories in international trade: the Ricardian, specific-factors, and Heckscher–Ohlin models; trade under increasing returns and imperfect competition; trade policy; multinational firms and global supply chains; and trade agreements — presented alongside empirical evidence and historical and contemporary case studies, with interactive in-browser models for most lectures.

Lectures

WkTopicMaterials
1 Introduction, trade in endowments and review of utility maximization [Slides]
2 Ricardian theory [Slides] [Interactive]
3 Specific factors model [Slides] [Interactive]
4 Heckscher–Ohlin theory [Slides] [Interactive]
5 Trade policy under perfect competition [Slides] [Interactive]
6 Midterm review [Slides]
7 Trade under increasing returns and imperfect competition [Slides] [Interactive]
8 Multinational firms and global supply chains [Slides] [Interactive]
9 International trade agreements and economic integration [Slides] [Interactive]

Problem sets

[Problem set 1] [Problem set 2] [Problem set 3] [Problem set 4] [Problem set 5]

Exams

Practice midterm [Exam — with solutions]
Practice final [Exam — with solutions]
Last updated: October 25, 2026