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The Value of Information in International Trade: Gains to Outsourcing through Hong Kong

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  • Feenstra Robert C

    (University of California. Davis and National Bureau of Economic Research)

  • Hanson Gordon H.

    (University of California, San Diego, and National Bureau of Economic Research)

  • Lin Songhua

    (Denison University)

Abstract

In this paper, we estimate the benefits to countries that purchase goods from China by having access to intermediary services provided in Hong Kong. Traders in Hong Kong supply information on markets and producers in China, which provides welfare gains to foreign firms using these services. During the 1990s, Hong Kong intermediated about one-half of the goods that China exported to the rest of the world. Using constant elasticity demand curves, we find that the gains to intermediary services provided by Hong Kong are roughly equal to the value of these Hong Kong re-exports, and four to five times larger than the markups earned in Hong Kong. Using a linear approximation to the demand curves instead, we find that the gains are one-quarter as much as the value of re-exports, or slightly larger than the markups.

Suggested Citation

  • Feenstra Robert C & Hanson Gordon H. & Lin Songhua, 2004. "The Value of Information in International Trade: Gains to Outsourcing through Hong Kong," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-37, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:advances.4:y:2004:i:1:n:7
    DOI: 10.2202/1538-0637.1071
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    Cited by:

    1. Lars Calmfors & Giancarlo Corsetti & John Kay & Seppo Honkapohja & Willi Leibfritz & Gilles Saint-Paul & Hans-Werner Sinn & Xavier Vives, 2005. "Chapter 2: Outsourcing," EEAG Report on the European Economy, CESifo, vol. 0, pages 39-50, March.
    2. João Amador & Sónia Cabral, 2014. "Global Value Chains: Surveying Drivers, Measures and Impacts," Working Papers w201403, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    3. Guillaume Daudin, 2005. "Les transactions de la mondialisation," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 92(1), pages 221-262.
    4. Carolina Lennon, 2008. "Trade in services and trade in goods: differences and complementarities," Working Papers halshs-00586223, HAL.
    5. James E. Rauch & Joel Watson, 2004. "Network Intermediaries in International Trade," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(1), pages 69-93, March.
    6. Amador, João & Cabral, Sónia, 2014. "Global value chains: surveying drivers and measures," Working Paper Series 1739, European Central Bank.
    7. Aradhna Aggarwal, 2011. "PROMOTING AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES AND INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERING THROUGH SEZs: EVIDENCE FROM INDIA," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(02), pages 201-227.
    8. Alyson C. Ma & Ari Van Assche & Chang Hong, 2010. "Global Production Networks and the People’s Republic of China’s Processing Trade," Working Papers id:3041, eSocialSciences.
    9. Ma, Alyson C. & Van Assche, Ari & Hong, Chang, 2009. "Global production networks and China's processing trade," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 640-654, November.
    10. Bruce A. Blonigen & Alyson C. Ma, 2019. "Please Pass the Catch-Up: The Relative Performance of Chinese and Foreign Firms in Chinese Exports," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foreign Direct Investment, chapter 12, pages 401-445, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    11. Nordås, Hildegunn Kyvik, 2007. "International production sharing: A case for a coherent policy framework," WTO Discussion Papers 11, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    12. Alessandro Nicita & Marcelo Olarreaga, 2007. "Information and Export Performance," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 95-111, June.
    13. Nordås, Hildegunn Kyvik, 2003. "Fragmented production: Regionalization of trade?," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2003-01, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    14. Kinra, Aseem, 2015. "Environmental complexity related information for the assessment of country logistics environments: Implications for spatial transaction costs and foreign location attractiveness," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 36-47.
    15. Patricia Sourdin & Richard Pomfret, 2012. "Trade Facilitation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14596.
    16. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/686 is not listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty

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