[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cii/cepidt/2012-27.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Product relatedness and firm exports in China

Author

Listed:
  • Sandra Poncet
  • Felipe Starosta de Waldemar
Abstract
We propose the first evaluation using micro-level data of the expected growth gains from the consistency of activities with local comparative advantage. Using firm level data from Chinese customs over 2000-2006, we investigate the relationship between the export performance of firms and how their products relate to local comparative advantage. Our key indicator measures the density of the links between a product and the local product space. It hence combines information on the intrinsic relatedness of a good to that on the local pattern of specialization. Our results indicate that exports grow faster for goods that have denser links with those currently produced in the firm’s locality. The density of links between products thus seems to yield export-enhancing spillovers. We however also show that this positive effect of product relatedness on export performance is mainly limited to ordinary trade activities and domestic firms. It is also stronger for more productive firms, suggesting that spillover diffusion may be hindered by insufficient absorptive capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra Poncet & Felipe Starosta de Waldemar, 2012. "Product relatedness and firm exports in China," Working Papers 2012-27, CEPII research center.
    • Handle: RePEc:cii:cepidt:2012-27
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.cepii.fr/PDF_PUB/wp/2012/wp2012-27.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aitken, Brian & Hanson, Gordon H. & Harrison, Ann E., 1997. "Spillovers, foreign investment, and export behavior," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1-2), pages 103-132, August.
    2. Ricardo Hausmann & Bailey Klinger, 2008. "South Africa's export predicament," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 16(4), pages 609-637, October.
    3. Usui, Norio & A. Abdon, Arnelyn May, 2010. "Structural Transformation in the Kyrgyz Republic: Engineering Future Paths of Capability Accumulation," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 200, Asian Development Bank.
    4. Crespo, Nuno & Fontoura, Maria Paula, 2007. "Determinant Factors of FDI Spillovers - What Do We Really Know?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 410-425, March.
    5. Manova, Kalina & Yu, Zhihong, 2016. "How firms export: Processing vs. ordinary trade with financial frictions," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 120-137.
    6. Li, Xibao, 2011. "Sources of External Technology, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Capability in Chinese State-Owned High-Tech Enterprises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 1240-1248, July.
    7. Koenig, Pamina & Mayneris, Florian & Poncet, Sandra, 2010. "Local export spillovers in France," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(4), pages 622-641, May.
    8. Rauch, James E., 1999. "Networks versus markets in international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 7-35, June.
    9. Ahn, JaeBin & Khandelwal, Amit K. & Wei, Shang-Jin, 2011. "The role of intermediaries in facilitating trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 73-85, May.
    10. Dani Rodrik, 2006. "What's So Special about China's Exports?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, September.
    11. Jarreau, Joachim & Poncet, Sandra, 2012. "Export sophistication and economic growth: Evidence from China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 281-292.
    12. Deborah L. Swenson, 2008. "Multinationals and the creation of Chinese trade linkages," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 596-618, May.
    13. Ricardo Hausmann & Jason Hwang & Dani Rodrik, 2007. "What you export matters," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, March.
    14. Ricardo Hausmann & Bailey Klinger, 2007. "The Structure of the Product Space and the Evolution of Comparative Advantage," Growth Lab Working Papers 10, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    15. Elsa Leromain & Gianluca Orefice, 2014. "New revealed comparative advantage index: Dataset and empirical distribution," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 139, pages 48-70.
    16. Manuel Agosin & Roberto Machado, 2005. "Foreign Investment in Developing Countries: Does it Crowd in Domestic Investment?," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 149-162.
    17. Dai, Mi & Maitra, Madhura & Yu, Miaojie, 2016. "Unexceptional exporter performance in China? The role of processing trade," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 177-189.
    18. Frances Ruane & Julie Sutherland, 2005. "Foreign Direct Investment and Export Spillovers: How Do Export Platforms Fare?," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp058, IIIS.
    19. Galina Hale & Cheryl Long, 2011. "Are There Productivity Spillovers From Foreign Direct Investment In China?," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 135-153, May.
    20. Ricardo Hausmann & César Hidalgo, 2011. "The network structure of economic output," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 309-342, December.
    21. Lemoine, Francoise & Unal-Kesenci, Deniz, 2004. "Assembly Trade and Technology Transfer: The Case of China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 829-850, May.
    22. Arnaud Costinot & Dave Donaldson & Ivana Komunjer, 2012. "What Goods Do Countries Trade? A Quantitative Exploration of Ricardo's Ideas," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 79(2), pages 581-608.
    23. Gaulier, Guillaume & Zignago, Soledad, 2004. "Notes on BACI (analytical database of international trade). 1989-2002 version," MPRA Paper 32401, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    24. Jeroen Hinloopen & Charles Marrewijk, 2001. "On the empirical distribution of the Balassa index," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 137(1), pages 1-35, March.
    25. Greenaway, David & Sousa, Nuno & Wakelin, Katharine, 2004. "Do domestic firms learn to export from multinationals?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 1027-1043, November.
    26. Moulton, Brent R, 1990. "An Illustration of a Pitfall in Estimating the Effects of Aggregate Variables on Micro Unit," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 72(2), pages 334-338, May.
    27. Jonathan Eaton & Marcela Eslava & Maurice Kugler & James Tybout, 2008. "Export Dynamics in Colombia: Transactions Level Evidence," Borradores de Economia 4748, Banco de la Republica.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Poncet, Sandra & Starosta de Waldemar, Felipe, 2013. "Export Upgrading and Growth: The Prerequisite of Domestic Embeddedness," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 104-118.
    2. Sandra Poncet & Felipe Starosta, 2013. "Export upgrading and growth in China: the prerequisite of domestic embeddedness," Working Papers halshs-00960684, HAL.
    3. Florian Mayneris & Sandra Poncet, 2010. "Export Performance of China's Domestic Firms: the Role of Foreign Export Spillovers," Working Papers 2010-32, CEPII research center.
    4. Florian Mayneris & Sandra Poncet, 2015. "Chinese Firms' Entry to Export Markets: The Role of Foreign Export Spillovers," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 29(1), pages 150-179.
    5. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-00960684 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Bai, Xue & Hong, Shengjie & Wang, Yaqi, 2021. "Learning from processing trade: Firm evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 579-602.
    7. Nebojsa Stojcic & Edvard Orlic, 2016. "Foreign Direct Investment And Structural Transformation Of Exports," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 25(2), pages 355-378, december.
    8. L. An & C. Hu & Yong Tan, 2017. "Regional effects of export tax rebate on exporting firms: Evidence from China," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 774-798, September.
    9. Xuqian Hu & Canfei He, 2020. "Nontariff measures, trade deflection, and market expansion of exporters in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 932-953, September.
    10. Hu, Cui & Tan, Yong, 2016. "Export spillovers and export performance in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 75-89.
    11. Javorcik, Beata & Harding, Torfinn, 2009. "A Touch of Sophistication: FDI and Unit Values of Exports," CEPR Discussion Papers 7596, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Ana Fernandes & Heiwai Tang, 2012. "Learning from Neighbors' Export Activities: Evidence from Exporters' Survival," Development Working Papers 337, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano, revised 16 Jul 2012.
    13. Gnidchenko, A., 2014. "Improving the Methods for Estimating the Structure and the Basis of Export Potential through Export Diversification," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 21(1), pages 83-109.
    14. Brandt, Loren & Li, Bingjing & Morrow, Peter M., 2021. "Processing trade and costs of incomplete liberalization: The case of China," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    15. Florian MAYNERIS & Sandra PONCET, 2011. "Entry on difficult export markets by Chinese domestic firms: the role of foreign export spillovers," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2011041, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    16. Neil Foster-McGregor, 2012. "Innovation and Technology Transfer across Countries," wiiw Research Reports 380, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    17. Pamina Koenig & Florian Mayneris & Sandra Poncet, 2011. "Économies d'agglomération à l'export et difficulté d'accès aux marchés," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00633773, HAL.
    18. Zou, Zongsen & Zhang, Yu & Li, Xin & Wang, Xiuling, 2023. "The nexus between product sophistication and export survival: Evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 480-502.
    19. Yibo Qiao & Nicola Cortinovis & Andrea Morrison, 2024. "MNE Spillovers and Local Export Dynamics in China: The Role of Relatedness and Forward-Backward Linkages," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2415, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2024.
    20. Pamina Koenig & Florian Mayneris & Sandra Poncet, 2010. "Économies d’agglomération à l’exportation et difficulté d’accès aux marchés," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 435(1), pages 85-103.
    21. Hong, Chang & Wu, Haoyu, 2018. "Export spillover and location choice," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 54-68.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Product space; density; spillovers; export performance; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cii:cepidt:2012-27. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cepiifr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.