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Innovation and Trade in the Presence of Credit Constraints

Author

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  • Foellmi, Reto
  • Tiemann, Alexa
  • Legge, Stefan
Abstract
This paper examines how trade liberalization affects investments in R&D at the firm level. In a model where entrepreneurs are heterogeneous in their wealth endowment, they rely differently on external funds. In the presence of capital market imperfections, this implies heterogeneous access to external funds such that poor entrepreneurs run smaller firms, are less likely to invest in R&D, and more likely to exit the market. Decreasing trade costs resulting from tariff reductions exacerbate these characteristics. Using firm-level panel data on seven Latin American countries for 2006 and 2010, we find support for our theoretical predictions. While recent studies emphasize a positive impact of trade liberalization on firms' productivity-enhancing activities, we provide novel evidence showing that financial constraints can impair the effect on R&D efforts. To address potential endogeneity concerns, we verify our findings using external financial dependence based on U.S. firms. These results suggest that imperfect capital markets can prevent welfare gains from trade liberalization to materialize.

Suggested Citation

  • Foellmi, Reto & Tiemann, Alexa & Legge, Stefan, 2015. "Innovation and Trade in the Presence of Credit Constraints," CEPR Discussion Papers 10391, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:10391
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    Cited by:

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    2. David Kohn & Fernando Leibovici & Michal Szkup, 2021. "Financial Frictions and International Trade," Documentos de Trabajo 563, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    3. Reto Foellmi & Manuel Oechslin, 2020. "Harmful Procompetitive Effects of Trade in Presence of Credit Market Frictions," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(6), pages 1493-1525, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial constraints; Innovation; Trade liberalization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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