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Greasing the Wheels of International Commerce: How Services Facilitate Firms' International Sourcing

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  • Görg, Holger
  • Raff, Horst
  • Debaere, Peter

Abstract

We use unique plant-level data to study the link between the local availability of services and the decision of manufacturing firms to source materials from abroad. To guide our empirical analysis we develop a monopolistic-competition model of the materials sourcing decisions of heterogeneous firms. The model generates predictions about how the intensity of international sourcing of materials depends on a firm's productivity and the availability of local services. These predictions are supported by the data. We find evidence that more productive manufacturing firms tend to have a higher ratio of imported materials to sales. In addition, we find evidence that services grease the wheels of international commerce: A greater availability of services across regions, industries and time increases a firm's foreign sourcing of materials relative to sales. Interestingly, this positive impact of local service availability on imports especially applies to stand-alone firms that, unlike multinationals, are less likely to rely on imported or internally provided services.

Suggested Citation

  • Görg, Holger & Raff, Horst & Debaere, Peter, 2010. "Greasing the Wheels of International Commerce: How Services Facilitate Firms' International Sourcing," CEPR Discussion Papers 7675, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7675
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    Cited by:

    1. Pisch, Frank & Berlingieri, Giuseppe, 2022. "Managing Export Complexity: The Role of Service Outsourcing," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 135680, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    2. Ha Nguyen & Shawheen Rezaei & Divya Agarwal, 2022. "The great recession and job loss spillovers: impact of tradable employment shocks on supporting services," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 68(3), pages 789-815, June.
    3. Woori Lee, 2019. "Services liberalization and global value chain participation: New evidence for heterogeneous effects by income level and provisions," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 888-915, August.
    4. Amador, João & Cabral, Sónia, 2014. "Global value chains: surveying drivers and measures," Working Paper Series 1739, European Central Bank.
    5. Holger Görg & Liza Jabbour, 2016. "Availability of Business Services and Outward Investment: Evidence from French Firms," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 797-819, September.
    6. Markus Kelle, 2013. "Crossing Industry Borders: German Manufacturers as Services Exporters," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(12), pages 1494-1515, December.
    7. Stefano Federico & Enrico Tosti, 2017. "Exporters and Importers of Services: Firm-Level Evidence on Italy," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(10), pages 2078-2096, October.
    8. Liu, Xuepeng & Mattoo, Aaditya & Wang, Zhi & Wei, Shang-Jin, 2020. "Services development and comparative advantage in manufacturing," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    9. Bernard Hoekman & Ben Shepherd, 2017. "Services Productivity, Trade Policy and Manufacturing Exports," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 499-516, March.
    10. Björn Thor Arnarson & Joakim Gullstrand, 2022. "Linking local services to global manufactures," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 124(1), pages 3-34, January.
    11. Raff, Horst & Trofimenko, Natalia, 2013. "World market access of emerging-market firms: The role of foreign ownership and access to external finance," Kiel Working Papers 1848, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    12. Honggue Lee, 2013. "The Effects of Preferential Rules of Origin on Trade Flows," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 29, pages 379-403.
    13. Markus Kelle, 2012. "Crossing Industrial Borders: German Manufacturers as Services Exporters," Development Working Papers 329, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano, revised 27 Mar 2012.
    14. Woori Lee, 2017. "Services liberalization and GVC participation: New evidence for heterogeneous effects by income level and provisions," CTEI Working Papers series 08-2017, Centre for Trade and Economic Integration, The Graduate Institute.
    15. Roger Bandick, 2016. "Offshoring, Plant Survival and Employment Growth," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 597-620, May.
    16. João Amador & Sónia Cabral, 2014. "Global Value Chains: Surveying Drivers, Measures and Impacts," Working Papers w201403, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    17. Pattnayak, Sanja Samirana & Chadha, Alka, 2022. "Servicification and manufacturing exports: Evidence from India," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    18. Bianka Dettmer, 2012. "Business services outsourcing and economic growth: Evidence from a dynamic panel data approach," Jena Economics Research Papers 2012-049, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    19. Roger Bandick, 2020. "Global sourcing, productivity and export intensity," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 615-643, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Firm heterogeneity; International trade; Off-shoring; Services; Supply chain management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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