IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finsta/v82y2026ics157230892500110x.html

Trade reforms and firm value: Worldwide evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Kong, Linghua
  • To, Thomas
  • Wu, Eliza

Abstract

Tariffs are commonly used to protect domestic firms from foreign competition. Using 25 major trade reforms implemented in 17 countries around the world since 1990, we document that firm value significantly increases following reductions in import tariffs. This value enhancement is concentrated in emerging markets and countries with stronger ex-ante competition laws. We identify two channels driving the increase in firm value: an increase in firm efficiency and profit margins due to lower input costs, and an increase in CEO turnover-performance and pay-performance sensitivity driven by increased competition. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of trade liberalization, while also highlighting the critical role of institutional support in fostering competition from foreign firms to stimulate private sector growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Kong, Linghua & To, Thomas & Wu, Eliza, 2026. "Trade reforms and firm value: Worldwide evidence," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finsta:v:82:y:2026:i:c:s157230892500110x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfs.2025.101481
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S157230892500110X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfs.2025.101481?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finsta:v:82:y:2026:i:c:s157230892500110x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jfstabil .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.