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The Location of Japanese MNCs Affiliates: Agglomeration Spillovers and Firm Heterogeneity

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Author Info
Tomohiko Inui
Toshiyuki Matsuura
Sandra Pocet

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Abstract

This study examines the determinants of location choices of foreign affiliates by manufacturing Japanese firms, using a new data set that matches parents and their affiliates created over the years 1995-2003. The analysis is based on new economic geography theory and thus focuses on the effect of market and supplier access, as well as production and trade costs. Our interest is twofold. First, we investigate the importance of agglomeration and spillover effects on the firmsf decision through the use of proxies relating to the presence of Japanese affiliates in the host countries as well as to that of Japanese multinational firms at home. Overall, our results confirm the economic importance of information sharing and network effects both at home and in the host country beside traditional determinants pertaining to production and transaction costs and access and supply access. Second, we explore whether the effects of key determinants of locational choice vary substantially depending on the characteristics of the investing firm and the plant. We find less productive and smaller parents to be more likely to create an affiliate in China rather than in Western Europe or an OECD country. Moreover less productive firms appear to be more sensitive to distance-related costs and low institutional quality while being more responsive to the presence of Japanese firms and JETRO presence in the host country.

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Paper provided by Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University in its series Discussion Paper Series with number a506.

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Date of creation: Aug 2008
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Handle: RePEc:hit:hituec:a506

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  3. Pamina Koenig, 2005. "Agglomeration and the Export Decision of French Firms," Working Papers 2005-02, Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique, revised Feb 2005. [Downloadable!]
  4. Crozet, M. & Mayer, T. & Micchielli, J.L., 2000. "How Do Firms Agglomerate? A Study of FDI in France?," Papiers d'Economie Mathématique et Applications 2000.50, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
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  5. Head, Keith & Mayer, Thierry, 2006. "Regional wage and employment responses to market potential in the EU," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 573-594, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Cieslik, Andrzej & Ryan, Michael, 2004. "Explaining Japanese direct investment flows into an enlarged Europe: A comparison of gravity and economic potential approaches," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 12-37, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Aitken, Brian & Hanson, Gordon H. & Harrison, Ann E., 1997. "Spillovers, foreign investment, and export behavior," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1-2), pages 103-132, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Kozo Kiyota & Shujiro Urata, 2007. "The Role of Multinational Firms in International Trade: The Case of Japan," Working Papers 560, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Head, C. Keith & Ries, John C. & Swenson, Deborah L., 1999. "Attracting foreign manufacturing: Investment promotion and agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 197-218, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Head, Charles Keith & Mayer, Thierry, 2002. "Market Potential and the Location of Japanese Investment in the European Union," CEPR Discussion Papers 3455, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. David H. Good & M. Ishaq Nadiri & Robin C. Sickles, 1996. "Index Number and Factor Demand Approaches to the Estimation of Productivity," NBER Working Papers 5790, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Redding, Stephen & Venables, Anthony J., 2003. "South-East Asian export performance: external market access and internal supply capacity," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 404-431, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Alexander HIJZEN & INUI Tomohiko & TODO Yasuyuki, 2007. "The Effects of Multinational Production on Domestic Performance: Evidence from Japanese Firms," Discussion papers 07006, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). [Downloadable!]
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  17. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 2003. "Heterogeneity and the FDI versus export decision of Japanese manufacturers," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 448-467, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  18. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 1996. "Inter-City Competition for Foreign Investment: Static and Dynamic Effects of China's Incentive Areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 38-60, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Head, Keith & Ries, John & Swenson, Deborah, 1995. "Agglomeration benefits and location choice: Evidence from Japanese manufacturing investments in the United States," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 223-247, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  20. Greenaway, David & Sousa, Nuno & Wakelin, Katharine, 2004. "Do domestic firms learn to export from multinationals?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 1027-1043, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Helpman, Elhanan & Melitz, Marc J & Yeaple, Stephen R, 2003. "Export versus FDI," CEPR Discussion Papers 3741, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  22. David Greenaway & Richard Kneller, 2007. "Firm heterogeneity, exporting and foreign direct investment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(517), pages F134-F161, 02. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. Fukunari Kimura & Kozo Kiyota, 2006. "Exports, FDI, and Productivity: Dynamic Evidence from Japanese Firms," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 142(4), pages 695-719, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  24. repec:cup:cbooks:9780521873680 is not listed on IDEAS
  25. Thierry Mayer & Isabelle Mejean & Benjamin Nefussi, 2007. "The Location of Domestic and Foreign Production Affiliates by French Multinational Firms," Working Papers 2007-07, CEPII research center. [Downloadable!]
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  26. Blonigen, Bruce A. & Ellis, Christopher J. & Fausten, Dietrich, 2005. "Industrial groupings and foreign direct investment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 75-91, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  27. Kozo Kiyota & Toshiyuki Matsuura & Shujiro Urata & Yuhong Wei, 2007. "Reconsidering the Backward Vertical Linkages of Foreign Affiliates: Evidence from Japanese Multinationals," Working Papers 563, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan. [Downloadable!]
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  28. Dixit, Avinash K & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1977. "Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(3), pages 297-308, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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