IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sls/ipmsls/v49y20251.html

The Potential Impact of Pro-competitive Regulatory Reforms on Productivity and Growth in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Gilbert Cette
  • Jimmy Lopez
  • Giuseppe Nicoletti
  • Océane Vernerey

Abstract

Using international data on anticompetitive regulations and productivity from 15 countries and a large number of industries over 1996-2021 (EUKLEMS & INTANProd; OECD PMR database), this article models how regulations in upstream non-manufacturing sectors (energy, transport, trade, professional services) affect downstream productivity. Reforms reducing regulation in these sectors transmit to the rest of the economy through input-output linkages. The study finds that if Canada adopted best-practice regulations internationally (especially in professional services and retail distribution), GDP per capita could rise 6.5-10 per cent in the long run. These very large potential gains highlight regulation as an important constraint on Canadian productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilbert Cette & Jimmy Lopez & Giuseppe Nicoletti & Océane Vernerey, 2025. "The Potential Impact of Pro-competitive Regulatory Reforms on Productivity and Growth in Canada," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 49, pages 3-40, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:49:y:2025:1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-potential-impact-of-pro-competitive-regulatory-reforms-on-productivity-and-growth-in-canada/
    File Function: Version francaise disponible / French version available
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-49-1-Cette-Lopez-Nicoletti-Vernerey.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Philippe Aghion & Diego Comin & Peter Howitt & Isabel Tecu, 2016. "When Does Domestic Savings Matter for Economic Growth?," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 64(3), pages 381-407, August.
    2. Gilbert Cette & Jimmy Lopez & Jacques Mairesse, 2018. "Employment Protection Legislation Impacts on Capital and Skills Composition," Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE), issue 503-504, pages 109-122.
    3. Philippe Aghion & Richard Blundell & Rachel Griffith & Peter Howitt & Susanne Prantl, 2009. "The Effects of Entry on Incumbent Innovation and Productivity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(1), pages 20-32, February.
    4. Nauro F. Campos & Paul De Grauwe & Yuemei Ji, 2025. "Structural Reforms and Economic Performance: The Experience of Advanced Economies," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 63(1), pages 111-163, March.
    5. Nickell, Stephen J, 1996. "Competition and Corporate Performance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(4), pages 724-746, August.
    6. Guglielmo Barone & Federico Cingano, 2011. "Service Regulation and Growth: Evidence from OECD Countries," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(555), pages 931-957, September.
    7. Rachel Griffith & Rupert Harrison & Gareth Macartney, 2007. "Product Market Reforms, Labour Market Institutions and Unemployment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(519), pages 142-166, March.
    8. Daron Acemoglu & Vasco M. Carvalho & Asuman Ozdaglar & Alireza Tahbaz‐Salehi, 2012. "The Network Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 80(5), pages 1977-2016, September.
    9. Robert Inklaar & Marcel P. Timmer & Bart van Ark, 2008. "Market services productivity across Europe and the US [‘Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 23(53), pages 140-194.
    10. Steven N. Durlauf & Paul A. Johnson & Jonathan R. W. Temple, 2009. "The Methods of Growth Econometrics," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Terence C. Mills & Kerry Patterson (ed.), Palgrave Handbook of Econometrics, chapter 24, pages 1119-1179, Palgrave Macmillan.
    11. Alberto Alesina & Silvia Ardagna & Giuseppe Nicoletti & Fabio Schiantarelli, 2005. "Regulation And Investment," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(4), pages 791-825, June.
    12. Lukas Albrecht & Trevor Tombe, 2016. "Internal trade, productivity and interconnected industries: A quantitative analysis," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 49(1), pages 237-263, February.
    13. Philippe Aghion & Nick Bloom & Richard Blundell & Rachel Griffith & Peter Howitt, 2005. "Competition and Innovation: an Inverted-U Relationship," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(2), pages 701-728.
    14. Philippe Aghion & Peter Howitt, 2009. "The Economics of Growth," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262012634, December.
    15. Renaud Bourlès & Gilbert Cette & Jimmy Lopez & Jacques Mairesse & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2013. "Do Product Market Regulations In Upstream Sectors Curb Productivity Growth? Panel Data Evidence For OECD Countries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(5), pages 1750-1768, December.
    16. Paolo Buccirossi & Lorenzo Ciari & Tomaso Duso & Giancarlo Spagnolo & Cristiana Vitale, 2013. "Competition Policy and Productivity Growth: An Empirical Assessment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(4), pages 1324-1336, October.
    17. Xavier Gabaix, 2011. "The Granular Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 79(3), pages 733-772, May.
    18. Jean-Noël Barrot & Julien Sauvagnat, 2016. "Input Specificity and the Propagation of Idiosyncratic Shocks in Production Networks," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(3), pages 1543-1592.
    19. Campos, Nauro F. & De Grauwe, Paul & Ji, Yuemei, 2025. "Structural reforms and economic performance: the experience of advanced economies," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120870, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Peter C. B. Phillips & Donggyu Sul, 2009. "Economic transition and growth," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(7), pages 1153-1185.
    21. Paul Conway & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2006. "Product Market Regulation in the Non-Manufacturing Sectors of OECD Countries: Measurement and Highlights," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 530, OECD Publishing.
    22. repec:bla:ecpoli:v:23:y:2008:i::p:139-194 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Baldwin, John R. Gu, Wulong, 2007. "Multifactor Productivity in Canada: An Evaluation of Alternative Methods of Estimating Capital Services," The Canadian Productivity Review 2007009e, Statistics Canada, Economic Analysis Division.
    24. Paul Conway & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2007. "Product Market Regulation and Productivity Convergence: OECD Evidence and Implications for Canada," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 15, pages 3-24, Fall.
    25. Lorenzo Caliendo & Fernando Parro & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg & Pierre-Daniel Sarte, 2018. "The Impact of Regional and Sectoral Productivity Changes on the U.S. Economy," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 85(4), pages 2042-2096.
    26. Paul Conway & Donato de Rosa & Giuseppe Nicoletti & Faye Steiner, 2006. "Regulation, Competition and Productivity Convergence," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 509, OECD Publishing.
    27. Nickell, Stephen & Nicolitsas, Daphne & Dryden, Neil, 1997. "What makes firms perform well?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(3-5), pages 783-796, April.
    28. Xavier Giroud & Holger M. Mueller, 2019. "Firms' Internal Networks and Local Economic Shocks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(10), pages 3617-3649, October.
    29. Indre Bambalaite & Giuseppe Nicoletti & Christina von Rueden, 2020. "Occupational entry regulations and their effects on productivity in services: Firm-level evidence," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1605, OECD Publishing.
    30. Wulong Gu & Michael Willox, 2018. "Productivity Growth in Canada and the United States: Recent Industry Trends and Potential Explanations," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 35, pages 73-94, Fall.
    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. Renaud Bourlès & Gilbert Cette & Jimmy Lopez & Jacques Mairesse & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2013. "Do Product Market Regulations In Upstream Sectors Curb Productivity Growth? Panel Data Evidence For OECD Countries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(5), pages 1750-1768, December.
    2. Francesco Daveri & Rémy Lecat & Maria Laura Parisi, 2016. "Service Deregulation, Competition, and the Performance of French and Italian Firms," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 63(3), pages 278-302, July.
    3. Kevin J. Fox & Gilbert Cette & Jimmy Lopez & Jacques Mairesse, 2017. "Upstream Product Market Regulations, ICT, R&D and Productivity," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63, pages 68-89, February.
    4. Maria Bas & Åsa Johansson & Fabrice Murtin & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2016. "The effects of input tariffs on productivity: panel data evidence for OECD countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(2), pages 401-424, May.
    5. Igna, Ioana A. & Rincon-Aznar, Ana & Venturini, Francesco, 2019. "Upstream regulation, factor demand and productivity: Cross-industry differences in OECD countries, 1975–2007," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    6. Bouis, Romain & Duval, Romain & Eugster, Johannes, 2020. "How fast does product market reform pay off? New evidence from non-manufacturing industry deregulation in advanced economies," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 198-217.
    7. Crafts, Nicholas, 2012. "British relative economic decline revisited: The role of competition," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 17-29.
    8. Crafts, Nicholas, 2011. "British Relative Economic Decline Revisited," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 42, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    9. Papaioannou, Sotiris K., 2017. "Regulations and productivity: Long run effects and nonlinear influences," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 244-252.
    10. Bena Jan & Ondko Peter & Vourvachaki Evangelia, 2011. "Productivity Gains from Services Liberalization in Europe," EERC Working Paper Series 11/15e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    11. Sara Barcenilla-Visús & José-María Gómez-Sancho & Carmen López-Pueyo & María-Jesús Mancebón & Jaime Sanaú, 2013. "Technical Change, Efficiency Change and Institutions: Empirical Evidence for a Sample of OECD Countries," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 89(285), pages 207-227, June.
    12. World Bank, 2013. "Republic of Turkey Reform for Competitiveness Technical Assistance : Fostering Open and Efficient Markets through Effective Competition Policies," World Bank Publications - Reports 17010, The World Bank Group.
    13. Kai Zhao, 2021. "Competition of International Trade, Technology Spillover, and R&D Innovation," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(2), pages 676-694, June.
    14. Marino, Marianna & Parrotta, Pierpaolo & Valletta, Giacomo, 2019. "Electricity (de)regulation and innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 748-758.
    15. Soriano, Franklin A. & Villano, Renato A. & Fleming, Euan M. & Battese, George E., . "What’s driving innovation in small businesses in Australia? The case of the food industry," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(01).
    16. Kelly Benetatou & Yannis Katsoulacos & Ekaterini Kyriazidou & Galateia Makri, 2020. "Competition policy and labor productivity growth: some new evidence," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(6), pages 3035-3076, June.
    17. Alberto Bucci & Vladimir Matveenko, 2017. "Horizontal differentiation and economic growth under non-CES aggregate production function," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 1-29, January.
    18. Amable, Bruno & Ledezma, Ivan & Robin, Stéphane, 2016. "Product market regulation, innovation, and productivity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 2087-2104.
    19. James Broughel & Robert W. Hahn, 2022. "The impact of economic regulation on growth: Survey and synthesis," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(2), pages 448-469, April.
    20. Wang, Yong, 2022. "Market structure, factor endowment, and technology adoption," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).

    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:sls:ipmsls:v:49:y:2025:1. 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: CSLS (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cslssca.html .

    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.