IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jcecon/v43y2015i1p33-54.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Productivity, profitability, production and export structures along the value chain in China

Author

Listed:
  • Ju, Jiandong
  • Yu, Xinding

Abstract

This paper incorporates Chinese input–output tables, firm-level manufacturing data and transaction-level customs data into a unified value chain framework, which allows us to study the value chain position for all industries, regions, and firms in China. We then apply this framework to analyze firms’ production and export performances along the value chain and document the following patterns: (1). Both start-up capital stock and the annual investment expenses are higher for upstream firms, which makes the upstream firms more capital intensive. (2). Both productivity and profitability are higher for these upstream firms. (3). Counter-intuitively, the underdeveloped provinces, which are often thought to be more labor-abundant, are concentrated in the capital-intensive upstream industries. We suggest that the “Third Front Construction” policy implemented between 1964 and 1980 in China could play some role for this counter-intuitive finding. (4). Both production and export upstreamness have increased after year 2002.

Suggested Citation

  • Ju, Jiandong & Yu, Xinding, 2015. "Productivity, profitability, production and export structures along the value chain in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 33-54.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:43:y:2015:i:1:p:33-54
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2014.11.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147596714001231
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jce.2014.11.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert Koopman & Zhi Wang & Shang-Jin Wei, 2014. "Tracing Value-Added and Double Counting in Gross Exports," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(2), pages 459-494, February.
    2. Pol Antras & Davin Chor & Thibault Fally & Russell Hillberry, 2012. "Measuring the Upstreamness of Production and Trade Flows," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(3), pages 412-416, May.
    3. Ma, Yue & Tang, Heiwai & Zhang, Yifan, 2014. "Factor Intensity, product switching, and productivity: Evidence from Chinese exporters," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 349-362.
    4. Bernard, Andrew B. & Bradford Jensen, J., 1999. "Exceptional exporter performance: cause, effect, or both?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 1-25, February.
    5. Brandt, Loren & Van Biesebroeck, Johannes & Zhang, Yifan, 2012. "Creative accounting or creative destruction? Firm-level productivity growth in Chinese manufacturing," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 339-351.
    6. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    7. Jens Matthias Arnold & Katrin Hussinger, 2005. "Export Behavior and Firm Productivity in German Manufacturing: A Firm-Level Analysis," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 141(2), pages 219-243, July.
    8. David Greenaway & Richard Kneller, 2004. "Exporting and Productivity in the United Kingdom," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 20(3), pages 358-371, Autumn.
    9. Vivian Yue & Jiandong Ju, 2013. "A Unified Model of Structural Adjustments and International Trade: Theory and Evidence from China," 2013 Meeting Papers 859, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    10. Andrew B. Bernard, 2004. "Exporting and Productivity in the USA," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 20(3), pages 343-357, Autumn.
    11. 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.
    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. Tarlok Singh, 2010. "Does International Trade Cause Economic Growth? A Survey," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(11), pages 1517-1564, November.
    2. Yang, Yong & Mallick, Sushanta, 2014. "Explaining cross-country differences in exporting performance: The role of country-level macroeconomic environment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 246-259.
    3. Giordano, Claire & Lopez-Garcia, Paloma, 2019. "Firm heterogeneity and trade in EU countries: a cross-country analysis," Occasional Paper Series 225, European Central Bank.
    4. Ito, Banri & Xu, Zhaoyuan & Yashiro, Naomitsu, 2015. "Does agglomeration promote internationalization of Chinese firms?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 109-121.
    5. Matthew A. Cole & Robert J. R. Elliott & Supreeya Virakul, 2010. "Firm Heterogeneity, Origin of Ownership and Export Participation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 264-291, February.
    6. Chor, Davin & Manova, Kalina & Yu, Zhihong, 2021. "Growing like China: Firm performance and global production line position," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    7. Neil Foster-McGregor, 2012. "Innovation and Technology Transfer across Countries," wiiw Research Reports 380, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    8. Gustavo Crespi & Chiara Criscuolo & Jonathan Haskel, 2008. "Productivity, exporting, and the learning‐by‐exporting hypothesis: direct evidence from UK firms," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 619-638, May.
    9. Konstantins Benkovskis & Jaan Masso & Olegs Tkacevs & Priit Vahter & Naomitsu Yashiro, 2020. "Export and productivity in global value chains: comparative evidence from Latvia and Estonia," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 156(3), pages 557-577, August.
    10. Jaime Santos-Reyes, 2020. "Using Logistic Regression to Identify Leading Factors to Prepare for an Earthquake Emergency during Daytime and Nighttime: The Case of Mass Earthquake Drills," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-25, November.
    11. Benoît Mahy & François Rycx & Guillaume Vermeylen & Mélanie Volral, 2018. "Productivity, wages and profits: Does firms’ position in the value chain matter?," Working Paper Research 358, National Bank of Belgium.
    12. Peixin Li & Lixia Li & Xueliang Zhang, 2019. "Regional Inequality of Firms’ Export Opportunity in China: Geographical Location and Economic Openness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Sharma, Chandan & Mishra, Ritesh Kumar, 2015. "International trade and performance of firms: Unraveling export, import and productivity puzzle," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 61-74.
    14. ZHANG Hongyong & ZHU Lianming, 2015. "Effect of Foreign Affiliates on Exporting and Markups," Discussion papers 15127, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    15. Sahoo, Pradipta Kumar & Rath, Badri Narayan & Le, Viet, 2022. "Nexus between export, productivity, and competitiveness in the Indian manufacturing sector," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    16. Fabrice Defever & Alejandro Riaño, 2017. "China’s Dual Export Sector," Discussion Papers 2017-01, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    17. WAKASUGI Ryuhei & Hongyong ZHANG, 2012. "Effects of Ownership on Exports and FDI: Evidence from Chinese firms," Discussion papers 12058, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    18. Love, James H. & Mansury, Mica Ariana, 2009. "Exporting and productivity in business services: Evidence from the United States," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 630-642, December.
    19. Bo Gao & Mich Tvede, 2017. "The Impact of Trade with Pure Exporters," Working Papers 2017_05, Durham University Business School.
    20. WAKASUGI Ryuhei & ZHANG Hongyong, 2015. "Impacts of the World Trade Organization on Chinese Exports," Discussion papers 15021, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Value chain; Productivity; Profitability; Industrial structures;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • D57 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Input-Output Tables and Analysis
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

    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:eee:jcecon:v:43:y:2015:i:1:p:33-54. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622864 .

    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.