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Competition and Quality Upgrading

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Abstract

How does competition affect innovation? We address this question by using a novel approach to measure quality - an important component of innovation - using highly disaggregated product data for a large set of countries. Constructing an internationally comparable measure of quality enables us to separate the effect of reducing import tariffs, our measure of competition, on quality upgrading from other country level differences in competitive environments, and product demand shocks. We base our analysis on recent theoretical frameworks that predict that the effect of competition on innovation depends on firms? proximity to the world technological frontier. As predicted by theory, we find that lower tariffs are associated with quality upgrading for products close to the world frontier; whereas lower tariffs discourage quality upgrading for varieties distant from the frontier.

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  • Amiti, Mary & ,, 2009. "Competition and Quality Upgrading," CEPR Discussion Papers 7562, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7562
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    Cited by:

    1. Bastos, Paulo & Silva, Joana, 2010. "The quality of a firm's exports: Where you export to matters," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(2), pages 99-111, November.
    2. Nicholas Bloom & Mirko Draca & John Van Reenen, 2016. "Trade Induced Technical Change? The Impact of Chinese Imports on Innovation, IT and Productivity," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 83(1), pages 87-117.
    3. Feng, Ling & Li, Zhiyuan & Swenson, Deborah L., 2016. "The connection between imported intermediate inputs and exports: Evidence from Chinese firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 86-101.
    4. Konstantins Benkovskis & Ramune Rimgailaite, 2011. "The quality and variety of exports from the new EU member states," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 19(4), pages 723-747, October.
    5. Hélène Latzer & Florian Mayneris, 2011. "Trade in quality and income distribution: an analysis of the enlarged EU market," Working Papers of BETA 2011-21, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    6. Amit Khandelwal, 2010. "The Long and Short (of) Quality Ladders," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 77(4), pages 1450-1476.
    7. Elisaveta Archanskaia & Guillaume Daudin, 2012. "Heterogeneity and the Distance Puzzle," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2012-17, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    8. Nakhoda, Aadil, 2012. "The influence of financial leverage of firms on their international trading activities," MPRA Paper 35765, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Jan Van Hove, 2010. "Variety and quality in intra‐European manufacturing trade: the impact of innovation and technological spillovers," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 43-59.
    10. Raphael A. Auer, 2013. "Product Heterogeneity, Cross-Country Taste Differences, and the Consumption Home Bias," Working Papers 13.01, Swiss National Bank, Study Center Gerzensee.
    11. Jasper Lukkezen & Coen Teulings, 2013. "Optimal fiscal policy," CPB Discussion Paper 242.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    12. repec:wsr:wpaper:y:2012:i:095 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. John Sutton & Daniel Trefler, 2011. "Deductions from the Export Basket: Capabilities, Wealth and Trade," NBER Working Papers 16834, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Valerie Smeets & Sharon Traiberman & Frederic Warzynski, 2013. "Offshoring and Patterns of Quality Growth: Evidence from Danish Apparel," Economics Working Papers 2013-25, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    15. Jan Van Hove, 2010. "Variety and quality in intra-European manufacturing trade: the impact of innovation and technological spillovers," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 43-59.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quality upgrading; Competition; Proximity to frontier; Growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade

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