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Foreign sales strategies of multinational enterprises

Author

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  • Kleinert, Jörn
  • Toubal, Farid

Abstract

The business literature has long recognized the importance of multinationals' distribution networks. The empirical analysis of distribution-oriented FDI has, however, received little attention which is at least partly due to the lack of appropriate data. We outline a slightly modified version of Helpman, Melitz, and Yeaple (2004) that explicitly models the possibility for a multinational firm to export through its wholesale trade affiliate in order to analyze multinational firms' choice between foreign production and foreign distribution. The subsequent empirical analysis uses different discrete choice models. We use alternative specifications and report estimation results for several sub-samples of multinational firms. We also consider more complex foreign sales strategies and correct for the sample selection bias that arises because we only observe firms that have foreign affiliates. Our results show that the decision between distribution and production-oriented FDI is based on the trade-off between fixed and variable costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kleinert, Jörn & Toubal, Farid, 2010. "Foreign sales strategies of multinational enterprises," Tübinger Diskussionsbeiträge 327, University of Tübingen, School of Business and Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:tuedps:327
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pol Antràs & Arnaud Costinot, 2011. "Intermediated Trade," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 126(3), pages 1319-1374.
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    Cited by:

    1. Heuer, Nina, 2010. "Occupation-specific south-north migration," Tübinger Diskussionsbeiträge 328, University of Tübingen, School of Business and Economics.
    2. Jörn Kleinert & Nico Zorell, 2010. "Export-Magnification Effect of Offshoring," IAW Discussion Papers 63, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multinational firms; Wholesale sales; Discrete choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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