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Processing Trade, Firms Productivity, and Tariff Reductions : Evidence from Chinese Products

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  • Miaojie Yu

    (China Center for Economic Research)

Abstract

This paper explores how processing trade, jointly with tariff reduction, can improve a firm's productivity. Tariff reductions generate productivity gain via competition, whereas processing export does so via spillovers. Using mostly disaggregated Chinese product-level trade data and firm-level production data from 2000--2006, after constructing firm-level tariffs based on product information and controlling for possible endogeneity, I found that a 10% tariff decrease generates a 12% increase in a firm's productivity gain. In addition, processing firms enjoy significant productivity gains via spillovers, with heterogeneity across firms divided according to ownership. These findings are robust to various econometric methods, disaggregated specifications, and measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Miaojie Yu, 2010. "Processing Trade, Firms Productivity, and Tariff Reductions : Evidence from Chinese Products," Trade Working Papers 22873, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:eab:tradew:22873
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    Cited by:

    1. Larry Qiu & Miaojie Yu, 2014. "Multiproduct Firms, Export Product Scope, and Trade Liberalization: The Role of Managerial Efficiency," Working Papers 022014, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    2. Haichao Fan & Yao Amber Li & Tuan Anh Luong, 2015. "Input-Trade Liberalization and Markups," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2015-26, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised May 2015.
    3. Xing, Yuqing, 2012. "Processing trade, exchange rates and China's bilateral trade balances," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 540-547.
    4. Fan, Haichao & Lai, Edwin L.-C. & Li, Yao Amber, 2015. "Credit constraints, quality, and export prices: Theory and evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 390-416.
    5. Markus Eberhardt & Christian Helmers & Zhihong Yu, 2011. "Is the Dragon Learning to Fly? An Analysis of the Chinese Patent Explosion," CSAE Working Paper Series 2011-15, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    6. Nie, Huihua & Jiang, Ting & Yang, Rudai, 2012. "A Review and Reflection on the Use and Abuse of Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database," MPRA Paper 50945, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Feng, Ling & Li, Zhiyuan & Swenson, Deborah L., 2016. "The connection between imported intermediate inputs and exports: Evidence from Chinese firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 86-101.
    8. Yao Amber Li & Chen Carol Zhao, 2016. "Price Adjustment to Exchange Rates and Forward-looking Exporters: Evidence from USA–China Trade," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 1023-1049, November.
    9. Yao Amber Li & Jenny Xu & Carol Zhao Chen, 2015. "Import Response to Exchange Rate Fluctuations: A Micro-level Investigation," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2015-27, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised May 2015.
    10. Jiang, Ting & Nie, Huihua, 2014. "The stained China miracle: Corruption, regulation, and firm performance," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 123(3), pages 366-369.
    11. Weng, Qian & Söderbom, Måns, 2018. "Is R&D cash flow sensitive? Evidence from Chinese industrial firms," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 77-95.
    12. Robert C. Feenstra & Zhiyuan Li & Miaojie Yu, 2014. "Exports and Credit Constraints under Incomplete Information: Theory and Evidence from China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(4), pages 729-744, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Processing Trade; productivity; FirmiÌ s Heterogeneity; Chinese Plants;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes

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