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Misfits in the Car Industry: Offshore Assembly Decisions at the Variety Level

In: Globalization and Welfare Impacts of International Trade

Author

Listed:
  • Keith Head
  • Thierry Mayer

Abstract

This paper estimates the role of country-variety comparative advantage in the decision to offshore assembly of more than 2000 models of 197 car brands headquartered in 23 countries. While offshoring in the car industry has risen from 2000 to 2016, the top five offshoring brands account for half the car assembly relocated to low-wage countries. We show that the decision to offshore a particular car model depends on two types of cost (dis)advantage of the home country relative to foreign locations. The first type, the assembly costs common to all models, is estimated via a structural triadic gravity equation. The second effect, model-level comparative advantage, is an interaction between proxies for the model's skill and capital intensity and headquarter country's abundance in these factors.
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Suggested Citation

  • Keith Head & Thierry Mayer, 2018. "Misfits in the Car Industry: Offshore Assembly Decisions at the Variety Level," NBER Chapters, in: Globalization and Welfare Impacts of International Trade, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberch:14332
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    Cited by:

    1. Koenig, Pamina & Krautheim, Sebastian & Löhnert, Claudius & Verdier, Thierry, 2021. "Local global watchdogs: Trade, sourcing and the internationalization of social activism," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-86-21, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    2. Peng, Siyi & Ni, Hongfu & Zhong, Daocheng & Fan, Zijie, 2025. "Does deglobalization affect the withdrawal of foreign-invested enterprises? -Evidence from the US-China trade conflicts," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 1676-1698.
    3. Chen, Qifei & Shen, Yanzhi, 2021. "The impacts of offshore and onshore outsourcing on China's upgrading in global value chains: Evidence from its manufacturing and service sectors," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 263-280.
    4. Li, Zheng & Gao, Shan & Song, Shunfeng, 2023. "Labor protection, labor costs, and China's outward foreign direct investment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 444-459.
    5. Charlotte Emlinger & Sébastien Jean & Vincent Vicard, 2019. "L’étonnante atonie des exportations françaises : retour sur la compétitivité et ses déterminants," CEPII Policy Brief 2019-24, CEPII research center.
    6. Antoine ABI ZEID, 2021. "Untapped export potential in developing countries: evidence from the car industry," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 54, pages 117-144.
    7. Marczinek, Max & Maurer, Stephan & Rauch, Ferdinand, 2025. "Networks in trade — Evidence from the legacy of the Hanseatic league," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    8. Pierre Cotterlaz & Sébastien Jean & Vincent Vicard, 2022. "Multinational Enterprises and the French Trade Deficit," CEPII Policy Brief 2022-38, CEPII research center.
    9. Młody Michał & Stępień Beata, 2020. "Principles of reshoring development in luxury goods sector," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 56(2), pages 140-158, June.
    10. Młody Michał & Stępień Beata, 2020. "Principles of reshoring development in luxury goods sector," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 56(2), pages 140-158, June.

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    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade

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