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Cheap talk? Financial sanctions and non-financial firms

Author

Listed:
  • Besedeš, Tibor
  • Goldbach, Stefan
  • Nitsch, Volker
Abstract
Sanctions restrict cross-border interactions and therefore, not only put political and economic pressure on the target country, but also adversely affect the sender country. This paper examines the effect of financial sanctions on the country imposing them. We analyze the business responses of German non-financial entities to the imposition of sanctions on 23 countries over the period from 1999 through 2014. Examining highly disaggregated, monthly data from the German balance of payments statistics, we find four main results. First, German financial activities with sanctioned countries are reduced after the imposition of sanctions. Second, firms doing business with sanctioned countries tend to be disproportionately large, often having alternative business opportunities. Third, firms affected by sanctions expand their activities with non-sanctioned countries, some of which display close trade ties to the sanctioned country. Fourth, we find no effect of sanctions on broader measures of firm performance such as employment or total sales. Overall, we conclude that the economic costs of financial sanctions to the sender country are limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Besedeš, Tibor & Goldbach, Stefan & Nitsch, Volker, 2021. "Cheap talk? Financial sanctions and non-financial firms," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:134:y:2021:i:c:s0014292121000416
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2021.103688
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    1. Tibor Besedeš & Stefan Goldbach & Volker Nitsch, 2017. "You’re banned! The effect of sanctions on German cross-border financial flows," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 32(90), pages 263-318.
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    9. Forbes, Kristin J. & Warnock, Francis E., 2012. "Capital flow waves: Surges, stops, flight, and retrenchment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 235-251.
    10. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Sanzioni economiche: il diavolo è nei dettagli
      by Stagista 2 in La Voce on 2022-03-01 09:07:12

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    Cited by:

    1. Ina C. Jäkel & Søren Østervig & Erdal Yalcin, 2024. "The effects of heterogeneous sanctions on exporting firms: Evidence from Denmark," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 161-189, February.
    2. Shakib, Mohammed & Sohag, Kazi & Hassan, M. Kabir & Vasilyeva, Rogneda, 2023. "Finance and export diversifications Nexus in Russian regions: Role of trade globalization and regional potential," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    3. Stefan Goldbach & Volker Nitsch, 2022. "Covid-19 and Capital Flows: The Responses of Investors to the Responses of Governments," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 751-774, September.
    4. Bondarenko, Yevheniia & Lewis, Vivien & Rottner, Matthias & Schüler, Yves, 2023. "Geopolitical Risk Perceptions," CEPR Discussion Papers 18123, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Görg, Holger & Jacobs, Anna & Meuchelböck, Saskia, 2023. "Who Is to Suffer? Quantifying the Impact of Sanctions on German Firms," IZA Discussion Papers 16146, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Daria Suprunenko, 2024. "Not-so-innocent bystanders: Trade with neighbors of sanctioned countries," IEER Working Papers 123, Institute of Empirical Economic Research, Osnabrueck University.
    7. Jun Qian & Xiao Sun & Ziyang Wang & Yueting Chai, 2022. "Negative Feedback Punishment Approach Helps Sanctioning Institutions Achieve Stable, Time-Saving and Low-Cost Performances," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(15), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Teemu Makkonen & Timo Mitze, 2021. "Geo-political conflicts, economic sanctions and international knowledge flows," Papers 2112.00564, arXiv.org.
    9. Drott, Constantin & Goldbach, Stefan & Nitsch, Volker, 2024. "The effects of sanctions on Russian banks in TARGET2 transactions data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 38-51.
    10. Crosignani, Matteo & Han, Lina & Macchiavelli, Marco & Silva, Andre F., 2024. "Geopolitical Risk and Decoupling: Evidence from U.S. Export Controls," CEPR Discussion Papers 18986, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Buklemishev, O., 2022. "Financial sanctions and future of globalization," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 55(3), pages 207-212.
    12. Kwon, Ohyun & Syropoulos, Constantinos & Yotov, Yoto, 2022. "The Extraterritorial Effects of Sanctions," School of Economics Working Paper Series 2022-3, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University.
    13. Mohammed Shakib, 2023. "Innovation-Export Diversification Nexus in Russian Regions: Does Trade Globalization, Business Potential and Geopolitics Matter?," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 22(4), pages 932-974.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sanction; Restriction; Cross-border transaction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • F38 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Financial Policy: Financial Transactions Tax; Capital Controls
    • F51 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Conflicts; Negotiations; Sanctions

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