Les effets de l'introduction de l'euro sur les exportateurs français : une analyse sur données individuelles

How economic integration does affect the profile of firms? exports ? Did euro introduction benefited to French exporters ? And if so, how did they expand ? We investigate these issues by using detailed French firm-level exports data, provided by the French customs. First, we find that French firms export disproportionately more to the most integrated destinations (European Union). When these destinations are considered, we find that more firms export more products, each year, as compared to less integrated regions. Hence, more individual shipments are registered, each year, for these destinations. The value of exports that is recorded for each individual shipment is also more important. In a second step, we quantify the effects of a greater integration due to the adoption of the euro in 1999. We find that the euro promoted French exports to eurozone destinations, as compared to similar destinations outside the eurozone. This effect is channeled mainly through the number of individual shipments. French firms increased the number of products they export, each year, to eurozone destinations. However, the number of exporters remained unaffected.