<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>In times of pandemics or natural catastrophes, prices of commodities, such as water, food and medicines, tend to shoot up, in response to a surge in demand and depleting supplies. The government, in its misguided efforts to maintain “price affordability”, imposes price controls and anti-price-gouging legislation and bans the reselling of food and medical supplies. These interventions in the free market are the exact opposite of what the government should do, if it wants to ensure that enough commodities go to people who need them, that people do not hoard all available goods on grocery shelves, and most importantly, that suppliers have the incentive to produce more goods to meet current and future demand at market prices.</p></abstract>

In times of pandemics or natural catastrophes, prices of commodities, such as water, food and medicines, tend to shoot up, in response to a surge in demand and depleting supplies. The government, in its misguided efforts to maintain “price affordability”, imposes price controls and anti-price-gouging legislation and bans the reselling of food and medical supplies. These interventions in the free market are the exact opposite of what the government should do, if it wants to ensure that enough commodities go to people who need them, that people do not hoard all available goods on grocery shelves, and most importantly, that suppliers have the incentive to produce more goods to meet current and future demand at market prices.

Medical Mask Resellers Punished in Canada

Studia Humana

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Medical Mask Resellers Punished in Canada"}

In times of pandemics or natural catastrophes, prices of commodities, such as water, food and medicines, tend to shoot up, in response to a surge in demand and...

Medical Mask Resellers Punished in Canada

Publicado en línea: 27 ago 2020

Páginas: 69 - 74

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sh-2020-0014

Palabras clave
medical masks, resellers, middleman, price-gouging, Covid-19, Corona virus, pandemic, shortage of goods, black markets, price controls, profiteering, free market, libertarian

© 2020 Milton Kiang, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Medical Mask Resellers Punished in Canada

Publicado en línea: 27 ago 2020

Páginas: 69 - 74

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sh-2020-0014

Palabras clavemedical masks, resellers, middleman, price-gouging, Covid-19, Corona virus, pandemic, shortage of goods, black markets, price controls, profiteering, free market, libertarian

© 2020 Milton Kiang, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Palabras clave
medical masks, resellers, middleman, price-gouging, Covid-19, Corona virus, pandemic, shortage of goods, black markets, price controls, profiteering, free market, libertarian