Kokonaishinnan

Kokonaishinnan is a term encountered in some economic and policy discussions to describe the concept of domestically determined or heavily influenced prices within a country. The exact meaning varies by author, as it is not part of standard economic nomenclature. In general, kokonaishinnan refers to mechanisms that shape the prices paid by domestic consumers and firms for goods and services through government intervention, subsidies, taxation, procurement practices, price controls, or currency and financial-market actions that affect domestic price levels.

Usage and interpretations of the term differ. In some analyses, kokonaishinnan denotes a framework where the government sets or guides prices for essential commodities to cushion households from external shocks, while allowing market prices to prevail for other goods. In others, the concept points to broader, sometimes nationalist, pricing strategies intended to protect internal value chains or strategic industries, even when this departs from international price signals.

Policy tools associated with kokonaishinnan can include subsidies to keep consumer prices affordable, tariffs or quotas to influence domestic supply costs, state procurement programs, price caps or floors, and selective currency management. Potential advantages cited by proponents include greater price stability for essential goods and stronger support for key domestic industries. Critics warn of market distortions, higher inflation in unsubsidized sectors, strained trade relations, and reduced economic efficiency.

Historically, the term appears in a limited set of think-tank and policy writings from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is not a universally adopted doctrine and lacks formal international recognition. See also price controls, industrial policy, protectionism.