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Estimating the effect of chemical safety standards on firm performance in Malaysia and Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Otsuki, Tsunehiro
  • Michida, Etsuyo
  • Nabeshima, Kaoru
  • Ueki, Yasushi

Abstract

This paper uses firm-level data to examine the impact of chemical safety regulations imposed by importing countries such as RoHS and REACH on the production costs and export performance of firms in Malaysia and Vietnam. We find that in addition to the initial setup costs for compliance, EU RoHS and REACH implementation causes firms to incur additional variable production costs by requiring additional labor and capital expenditures of around 12% of the variable costs, respectively. We also find that compliance with RoHS and REACH significantly increases the probability of export. Furthermore, we find that compliance with EU RoHS and REACH helps firms to penetrate into a greater variety of countries. Also, we find that multinational enterprises and firms participating in global value chains generally exhibit better export performance and their costs rise less steeply.

Suggested Citation

  • Otsuki, Tsunehiro & Michida, Etsuyo & Nabeshima, Kaoru & Ueki, Yasushi, 2014. "Estimating the effect of chemical safety standards on firm performance in Malaysia and Vietnam," IDE Discussion Papers 455, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    • Handle: RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper455
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Keith E. Maskus & Tsunehiro Otsuki & John S. Wilson, 2013. "Do foreign product standards matter? Impacts on costs for developing country exporters," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 37-57, March.
    2. Fontagné, Lionel & Orefice, Gianluca & Piermartini, Roberta & Rocha, Nadia, 2015. "Product standards and margins of trade: Firm-level evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 29-44.
    3. John Wilson & Tsunehiro Otsuki & Baishali Majumdsar, 2003. "Balancing food safety and risk: do drug residue limits affect international trade in beef?," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 377-402.
    4. Niven Winchester & Marie-Luise Rau & Christian Goetz & Bruno Larue & Tsunehiro Otsuki & Karl Shutes & Christine Wieck & Heloisa L. Burnquist & Maurício J. Pinto de Souza & Rosane Nunes de Faria, 2012. "The Impact of Regulatory Heterogeneity on Agri-food Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(8), pages 973-993, August.
    5. Maertens, Miet & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Trade, Standards, and Poverty: Evidence from Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 161-178, January.
    6. Drogué, Sophie & DeMaria, Federica, 2012. "Pesticide residues and trade, the apple of discord?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 641-649.
    7. Bo Xiong & John Beghin, 2017. "Disentangling Demand-Enhancing And Trade-Cost Effects Of Maximum Residue Regulations," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 6, pages 105-108, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Chunlai Chen & Jun Yang & Christopher Findlay, 2008. "Measuring the Effect of Food Safety Standards on China’s Agricultural Exports," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 144(1), pages 83-106, April.
    9. Bo Xiong & John Beghin, 2017. "Disentangling Demand-Enhancing And Trade-Cost Effects Of Maximum Residue Regulations," World Scientific Book Chapters,in: Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 6, pages 105-108 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    10. Catherine Ragasa & Suzanne Thornsbury & Satish Joshi, 2011. "Are Food Certification Costs Misestimated? Exporter‐Perspective on the European Standard," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(3), pages 669-689, September.
    11. Otsuki, Tsunehiro & S. Wilson, John, 2003. "Food Safety and Trade: Winners and Losers in a Non-Harmonized World," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 18, pages 266-287.
    12. Maggie Xiaoyang Chen & John Wilson & Tsunehiro Otsuki, 2008. "Standards and export decisions: Firm-level evidence from developing countries," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 501-523.
    13. Miet Maertens & Liesbeth Colen & Johan F. M. Swinnen, 2011. "Globalisation and poverty in Senegal: a worst case scenario?," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 38(1), pages 31-54, March.
    14. Tien Manh Vu & Hiroyuki Yamada & Tsunehiro Otsuki, 2014. "The rise and fall of multinational enterprises in Vietnam: survival analysis using census data during 2000-2011," OSIPP Discussion Paper 14E001, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    15. Honda, Keiichiro, 2012. "The effect of EU environmental regulation on international trade : restriction of hazardous substance as a trade barrier," IDE Discussion Papers 341, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
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    Cited by:

    1. Valentina Rollo, 2023. "Technical regulations and exporters’ dynamics: evidence from developing countries," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 189-212, February.
    2. Qizhong YANG & Tsunehiro OTSUKI, 2017. "The Product-Related Environmental Regulation, Innovation, and Competitiveness: Empirical Evidence from Malaysian and Vietnamese Firms," OSIPP Discussion Paper 17E007, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Malaysia; Vietnam; Environmental protection; International trade; Environmental policy; Industrial standards; Costs; Trade; RoHS; REACH cost function; Market access;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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