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Immigrant entrepreneurs, diasporas, and exports

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  • Massimiliano Bratti
  • Luca De Benedictis
  • Gianluca Santoni

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the positive effect of immigrant entrepreneurs on manufacturing exports over and above that of diasporas. Using small‐scale regional administrative data, our instrumental variable estimates of export gravity models imply that ceteris paribus, that is, holding constant the total number of immigrants, the expected protrade effect of a migrant becoming an entrepreneur amounts to an average increase of US$5,946 in the export flows toward her country of origin. Besides these dyadic effects, immigrant entrepreneurs unlike nonentrepreneurial immigrants raise a region's overall competitiveness and export flows toward other destinations as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimiliano Bratti & Luca De Benedictis & Gianluca Santoni, 2020. "Immigrant entrepreneurs, diasporas, and exports," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(2), pages 249-272, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jregsc:v:60:y:2020:i:2:p:249-272
    DOI: 10.1111/jors.12455
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    Cited by:

    1. Oleg Firsin, 2022. "Which Immigrants Promote Trade with Third Party Countries? On the Role of Geographic and Linguistic Proximity," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 48(1), pages 1-44, January.
    2. Bastos, Paulo & Silva, Joana, 2012. "Networks, firms, and trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 352-364.
    3. Amir Maghssudipour & Marco Bellandi & Annalisa Caloffi, 2023. "The role of language in international trade and the “made in Italy”," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(3), pages 677-702, September.
    4. Hoch, Felix & Rudsinske, Jonas, 2021. "Building bridges: Bilateral manager connections and international trade," CIW Discussion Papers 4/2021, University of Münster, Center for Interdisciplinary Economics (CIW).
    5. Jahn, Vera & Steinhardt, Max Friedrich, 2018. "Immigration and new firm formation: Evidence from a quasi-experimental setting in Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 787, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Massimo Anelli & Gaetano Basso & Giuseppe Ippedico & Giovanni Peri, 2019. "Youth Drain, Entrepreneurship and Innovation," NBER Working Papers 26055, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Anna D’Ambrosio & Sandro Montresor, 2022. "The pro-export effect of subnational migration networks: new evidence from Spanish provinces," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(1), pages 53-107, February.

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    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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