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Does Input-Trade Liberalization Affect Firms’ Foreign Technology Choice?

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  • Maria Bas
  • Antoine Berthou

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of input-trade liberalization on firms’ decision to upgrade foreign technology embodied in imported capital goods. Our empirical analysis is motivated by a simple theoretical framework of endogenous technology adoption, heterogeneous firms and imported inputs. The model predicts a positive effect of input tariff reductions on firms’ technology choice to source capital goods from abroad. This effect is heterogeneous across firms depending on their initial productivity level. Relying on India’s trade liberalization episode in the early 1990s, we demonstrate that the probability of importing capital goods is higher for firms producing in industries that have experienced greater cuts on tariffs on intermediate goods. Only those firms in the middle range of the initial productivity distribution have benefited from input-trade liberalization to upgrade their technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Bas & Antoine Berthou, 2017. "Does Input-Trade Liberalization Affect Firms’ Foreign Technology Choice?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 31(2), pages 351-384.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:wbecrv:v:31:y:2017:i:2:p:351-384.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/wber/lhw062
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    Cited by:

    1. Marta Duda-Nyczak & Christian Viegelahn, 2016. "Exporters, Importers and Employment: Firm-Level Evidence from Africa," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 59(3), pages 309-341, September.
    2. Maria Bas & Caroline Paunov, 2019. "What gains and distributional implications result from trade liberalization," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 19003, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    3. Imbruno, Michele & Ketterer, Tobias D., 2018. "Energy efficiency gains from importing intermediate inputs: Firm-level evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 117-141.
    4. Rajesh Raj S.N. & Subash Sasidharan, 2015. "Impact of Foreign Trade on Employment and Wages in Indian Manufacturing," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 16(2), pages 209-232, September.
    5. Bas, M. & Paunov, C., 2014. "The unequal effect of India's industrial liberalization on firms' decision to innovate: Do business conditions matter?," MERIT Working Papers 2014-044, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    6. Bahar Baziki, Selva & Ginja, Rita & Borota Milicevic, Teodora, 2015. "Trade Competition, Technology and Labor Re-allocation," Working Paper Series 2016:1, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    7. Chakraborty, Pavel & Chatterjee, Chirantan, 2017. "Does environmental regulation indirectly induce upstream innovation? New evidence from India," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5), pages 939-955.
    8. Xiaoping Li & Shuzhou Peng & Wei‐Chiao Huang & Qian Zhou, 2022. "What Drives Chinese Firms' Export Sophistication? A Perspective from the Rise of Minimum Wages," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 30(2), pages 28-59, March.
    9. Cai, Meng & Cui, Riming & Li, Dan, 2023. "Trade with innovation benefits: A re-appraisal using micro data from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    10. Chakraborty, Pavel & Raveh, Ohad, 2018. "Input-trade liberalization and the demand for managers: Evidence from India," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 159-176.
    11. Zhengwen Liu & Hong Ma, 2021. "Input Trade Liberalization And Markup Distribution: Evidence From China," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 344-360, January.
    12. Sergii Meleshchuk & Yannick Timmer, 2024. "The price of capital goods, investment and labour: Micro‐evidence from a trade liberalization," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(3), pages 799-835, August.
    13. Mourad ZMAMI, 2017. "Libéralisation commerciale et investissement privé : une analyse en données de panel pour les entreprises manufacturières en Tunisie," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 45, pages 79-97.
    14. Maria Bas & Ivan Ledezma, 2020. "Trade liberalization and heterogeneous firms’ adjustments: evidence from India," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 156(2), pages 407-441, May.
    15. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm & Iyer, Harish, 2021. "Effect of Aid for Trade and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows on the Utilization of Unilateral Trade Preferences offered by the QUAD countries," EconStor Preprints 238211, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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