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Time as a determinant of comparative advantage

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  • Li , Yue
  • Wilson, John S.

Abstract

It is assumed that added time to export adds cost to and lowers the volume of trade. Time delays may also affect the composition of trade and can disproportionately reduce trade in time-sensitive goods. This paper investigates the validity of these propositions using the World Bank Doing Business database and Enterprise Surveys for 64 developing countries. The authors find that in countries where there is longer time needed to export firms in time-sensitive industries are less likely to become exporters. Moreover, firms that do export have lower export intensities. Their findings imply that time to export is a significant determinant of comparative advantage. For example, consider two industries that have the same export probability and intensity - but differ in time-sensitivity by one standard deviation. Action taken to cut time to export by 50 percent for one industry opens a 6 percentage point difference between the export probabilities of the two industries. In addition, steps to cut time delays increase export intensities by 1.9 percentage points. This impact applies to industries with different productivity levels -- and those in developing countries with different income levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Li , Yue & Wilson, John S., 2009. "Time as a determinant of comparative advantage," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5128, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5128
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    Cited by:

    1. Bianka Dettmer & Andreas Freytag & Peter Draper, 2013. "Check-in, departure and arrival times: Air cargo in Southern Africa?," Jena Economics Research Papers 2013-018, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    2. Christian Volpe Martincus, 2016. "Out of the Border Labyrinth: An Assessment of Trade Facilitation Initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 96856, February.
    3. Volpe Martincus, Christian & Carballo, Jerónimo & Graziano, Alejandro, 2015. "Customs," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 119-137.
    4. Cristina Herghelegiu & Evgenii Monastyrenko, 2020. "Risk and Cost Sharing in Firm-to-Firm Trade," DEM Discussion Paper Series 20-24, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    5. Anh T. Nguyen & Thuy T. Nguyen & Giang T. Hoang, 2016. "Trade facilitation in ASEAN countries: harmonisation of logistics policies," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 30(1), pages 120-134, May.
    6. Richard Pomfret & Patricia Sourdin, 2010. "Trade Facilitation And The Measurement Of Trade Costs," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 1(01), pages 145-163.
    7. Dettmer, Bianka & Freytag, Andreas & Draper, Peter, 2014. "Air Cargo beyond Trade Barriers in Africa," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 29, pages 95-138.
    8. Volpe Martincus, Christian & Carballo, Jerónimo & Graziano, Alejandro, 2015. "Customs," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 119-137.
    9. Lanz, Rainer & Piermartini, Roberta, 2018. "Specialization within global value chains: The role of additive transport costs," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2018-05, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    10. Velea, Irina & Cadot, Olivier & Wilson, John S., 2010. "Do private inspection programs affect trade facilitation ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5515, The World Bank.
    11. Rainer Lanz & Roberta Piermartini, 2021. "Specialisation within global value chains: Transport infrastructure matter upstream," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(8), pages 2410-2432, August.
    12. Volpe Martincus, Christian, 2016. "Out of the Border Labyrinth: An Assessment of Trade Facilitation Initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 7994.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transport Economics Policy&Planning; Economic Theory&Research; Scientific Research&Science Parks; Science Education; Free Trade;
    All these keywords.

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