IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0293444.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Prosper or beggar thy neighbour: Industrial policy effect of free trade zones

Author

Listed:
  • Jane Du
  • Cheng King
  • Xinxiang Shi

Abstract

Firms that stand to gain from the institutional framework of a free trade zone (FTZ) usually opt for locations in the FTZ region where they could expect higher returns on investment. This concentration of industries in FTZs can result in a reallocation of productivity, potentially leading to the “hollowing out” effect in existing industries, which can have a beggar-thy-neighbour effect on regional growth. Over the long term, the outcome, whether it leads to prosperity or detriment, hinges on the delicate balance between the immediate static loss associated with resource reallocation and the dynamic gains based on traditional manufacturing sector’s growth along the evolving FTZ environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane Du & Cheng King & Xinxiang Shi, 2023. "Prosper or beggar thy neighbour: Industrial policy effect of free trade zones," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(10), pages 1-10, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0293444
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293444
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0293444
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0293444&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0293444?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yingyi Qian & Chenggang Xu, 1993. "Why China's economic reforms differ: the M‐form hierarchy and entry/expansion of the non‐state sector," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 1(2), pages 135-170, June.
    2. Jean-Marc Siroën & Ayçil Yücer, 2014. "Trade Performance of Free Trade Zones," Working Papers DT/2014/09, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    3. Pierre-Philippe Combes & Gilles Duranton & Laurent Gobillon, 2011. "The identification of agglomeration economies," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(2), pages 253-266, March.
    4. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    5. Jiang, Yufan & Wang, Hongyan & Liu, Zuankuo, 2021. "The impact of the free trade zone on green total factor productivity ——evidence from the shanghai pilot free trade zone," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PB).
    6. Penghao Ye & Huarong Zhang & Siyi Ma & Fang Yang & Yanan Li, 2022. "A Knowledge Map Study of an Application of a Smart Land Planning Free-Trade Zone and China’s Contribution," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, June.
    7. Qian, Yingyi & Xu, Chenggang, 1993. "Why China's economic reforms differ: the M-form hierarchy and entry/expansion of the non-state sector," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121941, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Olley, G Steven & Pakes, Ariel, 1996. "The Dynamics of Productivity in the Telecommunications Equipment Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(6), pages 1263-1297, November.
    9. Li, Sujuan & Liu, Jiaguo & Kong, Yudan, 2021. "Pilot free trade zones and Chinese port-listed companies performance: An empirical research based on quasi-natural experiment," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 125-137.
    10. Qian, Yingyi & Xu, Cheng-Gang, 1993. "Why China's economic reforms differ: the m-form hierarchy and entry/expansion of the non-state sector," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 3755, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Combes, Pierre-Philippe & Gobillon, Laurent, 2015. "The Empirics of Agglomeration Economies," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 247-348, Elsevier.
    2. Ma, Hongqi & Zou, Jingxian & Cai, Hongbo & Zhang, Li, 2024. "Administrative division adjustment and environmental pollution: Evidence from City-County Mergers in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    3. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Tselios, Vassilis & Winkler, Deborah & Farole, Thomas, 2013. "Geography and the Determinants of Firm Exports in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 225-240.
    4. Mohamed Amara & Khaled Thabet, 2019. "Firm and regional factors of productivity: a multilevel analysis of Tunisian manufacturing," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 63(1), pages 25-51, August.
    5. Hsu, Wen-Tai & Lu, Yi & Luo, Xuan & Zhu, Lianming, 2023. "Foreign direct investment and industrial agglomeration: Evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 610-639.
    6. Dariusz Kotlewski, 2022. "Przesłanki za wykorzystaniem rachunkowości wzrostu gospodarczego w badaniu specjalizacji regionalnych," Ekonomista, Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne, issue 2, pages 235-258.
    7. Martin, Philippe & Mayer, Thierry & Mayneris, Florian, 2011. "Spatial concentration and plant-level productivity in France," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 182-195, March.
    8. Lin, Faqin, 2015. "Learning by exporting effect in China revisited: An instrumental Approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-13.
    9. Marijke J. D. Bos & Gonzague Vannoorenberghe, 2018. "Total factor productivity spillovers from trade reforms in India," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 51(2), pages 549-606, May.
    10. Barrios, Salvador & Bertinelli, Luisito & Strobl, Eric, 2006. "Coagglomeration and spillovers," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 467-481, July.
    11. Liu, Le & Jia, Shanming & Liu, Pengzhen, 2025. "The impact of intercity multi-transportation networks on enterprises' total factor productivity," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 477-492.
    12. Keisuke KONDO, 2016. "Testing for Agglomeration Economies and Firm Selection in Spatial Productivity Differences: The case of Japan," Discussion papers 16098, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    13. Santosh Kumar Sahu & Himani Sharma, 2016. "Productivity, Energy Intensity and Output: A Unit Level Analysis of the Indian Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 14(2), pages 283-300, December.
    14. Sun, Churen & Yu, Zhihao & Zhang, Tao, 2012. "Agglomeration and Trade with Heterogeneous Firms," MPRA Paper 49001, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 17 Aug 2013.
    15. Rita Almeida & Ana M. Fernandes, 2013. "Explaining local manufacturing growth in Chile: the advantages of sectoral diversity," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(16), pages 2201-2213, June.
    16. Michael Greenstone & Richard Hornbeck & Enrico Moretti, 2010. "Identifying Agglomeration Spillovers: Evidence from Winners and Losers of Large Plant Openings," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 118(3), pages 536-598, June.
    17. René BELDERBOS & Kyoji FUKAO & Kenta IKEUCHI & YoungGak KIM & Hyeog KWON, 2022. "Does Industry Agglomeration Attract Productive Firms? The role of product markets in adverse selection," Discussion papers 22105, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    18. Yu Wang & Qingfeng Kong, 2024. "The Impact of Free Trade Zones on Corporate Sustainability Performance: An Empirical Examination from the Dual Perspectives of Financial and Environmental Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-21, October.
    19. Guo, Di & Jiang, Kun & Xu, Chenggang & Yang, Xiyi, 2023. "Geographic clusters, regional productivity and resource reallocation across firms: Evidence from China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).
    20. Luigi Buzzacchi & Antonio De Marco & Marcello Pagnini, 2024. "Agglomeration and the Italian North–South divide," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(5), pages 707-728.

    More about this item

    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:plo:pone00:0293444. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    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.