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Multi-Product Exporters and the Margins of Trade

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  • Andrew B. Bernard
  • Ilke Van Beveren
  • Hylke Vandenbussche

Abstract

type="main"> The present paper examines multi-product exporters in Belgium, considering their importance and the relationship between the margins of trade and firm productivity. We use proxies for trade costs to quantify the extensive and intensive margin adjustments of trade. Relatively few exporting firms account for the majority of Belgian exports and these large firms have greater productivity and value-added, more employees and more exported products than smaller exporters. Across firms, productivity is positively associated with firm exports. More productive firms export more products to more countries and have higher average product-country export flows. The extensive and intensive margins are equally important in total firm exports.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew B. Bernard & Ilke Van Beveren & Hylke Vandenbussche, 2014. "Multi-Product Exporters and the Margins of Trade," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 65(2), pages 142-157, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jecrev:v:65:y:2014:i:2:p:142-157
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gert Bijnens & Jozef Konings, 2020. "Declining business dynamism in Belgium," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1201-1239, April.
    3. Lawless, Martina & Siedschlag, Iulia & Studnicka, Zuzanna, 2017. "Expanding and diversifying the manufactured exports of Irish-owned enterprises," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT335.
    4. Vandenbussche, Hylke & Aw-Roberts, Bee Yan & Lee, Yi, 2018. "Decomposing Firm-Product Appeal: How important is Consumer Taste?," CEPR Discussion Papers 12707, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Ming Xu & Tenglong Zhong & Qian Xie & Hongkui Liu, 2022. "Foreign Demand, Competition Strategy, and Export Markups: Evidence from Chinese Multi‐Product Exporters," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 30(3), pages 187-209, May.
    6. Konings, Jozef & Bijnens, Gert, 2018. "Declining Business Dynamism," CEPR Discussion Papers 12615, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Philippe Aghion & Antonin Bergeaud & Matthieu Lequien & Marc J. Melitz & Thomas Zuber, 2024. "Opposing Firm-Level Responses to the China Shock: Output Competition versus Input Supply," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 249-269, May.
    8. Catherine Fuss & Angelos Theodorakopoulos, 2018. "Compositional Changes in Aggregate Productivity in an Era of Globalisation and Financial Crisis," Working Papers of VIVES - Research Centre for Regional Economics 627696, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), VIVES - Research Centre for Regional Economics.
    9. Wu, Hongmei & Wan, Lu & Tian, He & Chen, Zhifang & Zhang, Yian, 2021. "The ternary margins of China's forest products export and their determinants," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    10. Michael Irlacher, 2022. "Multi-product Firms in International Economics," Economics working papers 2022-01, Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
    11. Chiara Criscuolo & Jonathan Timmis, 2018. "The Changing Structure of Global Value Chains: Are Central Hubs Key for Productivity?," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 34, pages 64-80, Spring.
    12. Philippe Aghion & Antonin Bergeaud & Matthieu Lequien & Marc J. Melitz & Thomas Zuber, 2021. "Opposing firm-level responses to the China shock: horizontal competition versus vertical relationships," CEP Discussion Papers dp1787, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    13. Kamal, Fariha & Sundaram, Asha, 2016. "Buyer–seller relationships in international trade: Do your neighbors matter?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 128-140.
    14. Zhou, Tianhang & Li, Xue & Yan, Guo & Li, Jie, 2022. "How productivity and credit constraints affect exports differently? Firm-level evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 207-230.
    15. Aya Elewa, 2018. "Mixed Market Structure, Competition and Market Size: How Does Product Mix Respond?," Working Papers 1245, Economic Research Forum, revised 28 Oct 2018.
    16. Marianne Matthee & Thomas Farole & Tasha Naughtin & Neil Rankin, 2016. "South African Exporters and the Global Crisis: Intensive Margin Shock, Extensive Margin Hangover," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 84(2), pages 183-198, June.
    17. Bai, Xue & Hong, Shengjie & Wang, Yaqi, 2021. "Learning from processing trade: Firm evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 579-602.
    18. Brian Cevallos Fujiy & Gaurav Khanna & Hiroshi Toma, 2022. "Cultural Proximity and Production Networks," Working Papers 686, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan.

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