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Does the Use of Imported Intermediates Increase Productivity? Plant-Level Evidence

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Author Info
Hiroyuki Kasahara (University of Western Ontario)
Joel Rodrigue (Queen's University)

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Abstract

This paper examines whether importing intermediate goods improves plant performance. While addressing the issue of simultaneity of a productivity shock and the decision to import intermediates, we estimate the impact of the use of foreign intermediates on plants' productivity using plant-level Chilean manufacturing panel data. We found that switching from being a non- importer to being an importer of foreign intermediates can improve productivity by 2.3 to 22.0 percent. We also investigate the plant dynamic decisions to import, invest, and exit. The results show that having imported last year substantially increases the probability of importing this year, providing the evidence for sunk start-up costs of importing. We also found that importers accumulate more capital and are less likely to exit than non-importers, which indicates that importing intermediates may play an important role in reallocating resources across heterogeneous plants.

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Paper provided by University of Western Ontario, RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute in its series University of Western Ontario, RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute Working Papers with number 20057.

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Date of creation: 2005
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Handle: RePEc:uwo:epuwoc:20057

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Postal: RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute, Social Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2
Phone: 519-661-2111 Ext.85228
Web page: http://economics.uwo.ca/econref/WorkingPapers/

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Related research
Keywords: productivity imported intermediates plant-level

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior
D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Capital and Total Factor Productivity; Capacity

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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  4. Feenstra, Robert C, 1994. "New Product Varieties and the Measurement of International Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(1), pages 157-77, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Chamberlain, Gary, 1982. "Multivariate regression models for panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 5-46, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Hiroyuki Kasahara & Beverly Lapham, 2006. "Import Protection as Export Destruction," University of Western Ontario, RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute Working Papers 20062, University of Western Ontario, RBC Financial Group Economic Policy Research Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Tsuyoshi Nakamura & Hiroshi Ohashi, 2005. "Technology Adoption, Learning by Doing, and Productivity: A Study of Steel Refining Furnaces," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-368, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo. [Downloadable!]
  3. Rita Almeida & Ana Margarida Fernandes, 2007. "Openness and Technological Innovations in Developing Countries: Evidence from Firm-Level Surveys," IZA Discussion Papers 2907, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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