Trade, Human Capital, and Technology Spillovers: an Industry‐level Analysis

This paper studies whether trade promotes North–South and South–South technology spillovers at the industry level, and how the absorptive capacity of the South affects the impact of the technology spillovers. Using data from 16 manufacturing industries in 25 developing countries from 1976 to 1998, the paper shows: (i) North–South trade‐related R&D has a substantial impact on total factor productivity in the South; (ii) South–South trade‐related R&D also promotes technology spillovers but with a smaller magnitude; and (iii) human capital is very important in facilitating North–South and South–South technology spillovers: an increase in human capital could lead to over three times the size of technology spillovers from an increase in trade‐related foreign R&D.