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Imported Intermediate Inputs, Firm Productivity and Product Complexity

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  • Miaojie Yu
  • Jin Li

Abstract

type="main"> This paper takes product complexity into account to study the impact of imported intermediate inputs on firms. Highly disaggregated Chinese transaction-level trade data and firm-level production data from 2002 to 2006 are used to construct firm-level imported intermediate inputs. After controlling for the endogeneity of imported intermediate inputs and taking industrial imports of final goods into account, the analysis finds that firm productivity increases with increased imported intermediate inputs. The impact of imported intermediate inputs on firm productivity is weaker as firms produce more complex products.

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  • Miaojie Yu & Jin Li, 2014. "Imported Intermediate Inputs, Firm Productivity and Product Complexity," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 65(2), pages 178-192, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jecrev:v:65:y:2014:i:2:p:178-192
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/jere.12041
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    2. Mauro Caselli, 2018. "Do all imports matter for productivity? Intermediate inputs vs capital goods," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(2), pages 285-311, August.
    3. Joachim Wagner, 2016. "A survey of empirical studies using transaction level data on exports and imports," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(1), pages 215-225, February.
    4. WAKASUGI Ryuhei & ZHANG Hongyong, 2015. "Impacts of the World Trade Organization on Chinese Exports," Discussion papers 15021, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    5. Sharma, Chandan & Mishra, Ritesh Kumar, 2015. "International trade and performance of firms: Unraveling export, import and productivity puzzle," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 61-74.
    6. Doki, Naomi Onyeje & Shitile, Tersoo Shimonkabir & Sule, Abubakar, 2021. "Imported Intermediate Inputs and Manufactured Exports in Nigeria: The Role of Dual Exchange Rate Regime," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 9(1), January.
    7. Miaojie Yu, 2020. "China-US Trade War and Trade Talk," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-981-15-3785-1, December.
    8. Guan, Shu & Cheng, Liwei, 2020. "Does product complexity matter for firms' TFP?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    9. Ryuhei Wakasugi & Hongyong Zhang, 2016. "Impacts of the WTO accession on Chinese exports," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 347-364, October.
    10. Xuefeng, Qian & Yaşar, Mahmut, 2016. "Export Market Diversification and Firm Productivity: Evidence from a Large Developing Country," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 28-47.

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