Trade Credit Constraints and Aggregate Dynamics

I study the aggregate implications of trade credit constraints faced by exporting firms in a small open economy general equilibrium model with heterogeneous producers. Exporters must finance fixed export costs with external credit, but borrowing capacity is limited by domestic financial development. Quantitative results show that, despite sizable firm-level distortions, trade credit constraints can have muted aggregate effects. Two general equilibrium mechanisms account for this result: tighter constraints reduce export participation but raise average exporter productivity through selection, and endogenous wage adjustment dampens the transmission of shocks to profits and export activity. The aggregate relevance of trade credit constraints increases when firm productivity is less dispersed and when labor supply is more elastic. Overall, the analysis clarifies how firm-level financial frictions interact with general equilibrium forces in shaping aggregate outcomes.