The factor content of regional bilateral trade: the role of technology and demand
Abstract
The Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek (HOV) model in its strict form has been strongly rejected by the data. Relaxing some assumptions of the standard HOV model is key to find improvements in its performance. We apply Davis and Weinstein (2001) methodology to analyse the validity of the HOV model using regions rather than countries. Surprisingly, our results using data for 17 Spanish regions are similar to theirs with international data for OECD countries. Accounting for technological differences improve the predictive capacity of the factor proportions model and including trade costs and geography reduce significantly the missing trade problem. However, relaxing the assumption of factor price equalisation does not improve the performance of the HOV model in a regional setting.Download Info
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Paper provided by Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia in its series Working Papers with number 1007.Length: 39 pages
Date of creation: Dec 2010
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:eec:wpaper:1007
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Keywords: Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek (HOV) model; technological differences; gravity equation; Spanish regions;Other versions of this item:
- Artal-Tur, Andrés & Castillo-Giménez, Juana & Llano-Verduras, Carlos & Requena-Silvente, Francisco, 2011. "The factor content of regional bilateral trade: The role of technology and demand," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 157-172, April.
- F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
- F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
- R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2010-12-18 (All new papers)
- NEP-INT-2010-12-18 (International Trade)
References
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