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Trade with Benefits: New Insights on Competition and Innovation

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Abstract

This paper examines how Korea’s import and export linkages with China affect the innovation outcomes of Korean manufacturing firms. Using our automated algorithm, we match Korean patent data to KIS-Value firm data from 1996 to 2015. We find that rising import and export with China lead to more patent applications by Korean manufacturing firms, with the positive impact particularly driven by large or public firms compared to SMEs or private firms. Most importantly, all of these results hold only in those sectors with higher quality products than Chinese products, shedding lights on reconciling recent empirical studies that found conflicting evidence on ’Schumpeterian force’ and ’escaping competition.’

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  • JaeBin Ahn & Hyoungmin Han & Yi Huang, 2018. "Trade with Benefits: New Insights on Competition and Innovation," IHEID Working Papers 07-2018, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:gii:giihei:heidwp07-2018
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alicia M. Robb, 2002. "Small Business Financing: Differences Between Young and Old Firms," Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, Pepperdine University, Graziadio School of Business and Management, vol. 7(2), pages 45-64, Summer.
    2. Ahn, JaeBin & Duval, Romain, 2017. "Trading with China: Productivity gains, job losses," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 38-42.
    3. Scherer, F M & Huh, Keun, 1992. "R&D Reactions to High-Technology Import Competition," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(2), pages 202-212, May.
    4. Nickell, Stephen J, 1996. "Competition and Corporate Performance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(4), pages 724-746, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ujjayant Chakravorty & Runjuan Liu & Ruotao Tang & Long Zhao, 2024. "Firm innovation under import competition from low‐wage countries," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 2063-2093, May.
    2. Leona Shao-Zhi Li & Yize Liu & Jia Yuan, 2024. "The effect of the U.S.–China trade war on Chinese corporate innovation: A curse or a blessing?," Working Papers 202418, University of Macau, Faculty of Business Administration.
    3. Gu, Grace & Malik, Samreen & Pozzoli, Dario & Rocha, Vera, 2024. "Worker reallocation, firm innovation, and Chinese import competition," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    4. Cai, Meng & Cui, Riming & Li, Dan, 2023. "Trade with innovation benefits: A re-appraisal using micro data from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    5. Ruiyang Hu & Chen Yin & Zhijie Zheng & Sili Zhou, 2024. "Unlocking Innovation: The Impact of Free Trade Zones on Corporate Innovation in China," Working Papers 202414, University of Macau, Faculty of Business Administration.
    6. Chen, Cheng & Steinwender, Claudia, 2021. "Import competition, heterogeneous preferences of managers, and productivity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    7. Benjamin Azembila Asunka & Zhiqiang Ma & Mingxing Li & Nelson Amowine & Oswin Aganda Anaba & Haoyang Xie & Weijun Hu, 2021. "Analysis of the causal effects of imports and foreign direct investments on indigenous innovation in developing countries," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 17(5), pages 1315-1335, January.
    8. Mark Vancauteren & Ahmed Boutorat & Oscar Lemmers, 2024. "Import Competition, Destinations, and Firms’ Patent Strategies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 4284-4314, March.
    9. Kim, Gueyon, 2022. "Trade-Induced Adoption of New Work," IZA Discussion Papers 15165, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Ning Meng & Yining Ni & Yeqing Ma, 2024. "The ripple effect: How trade policy shocks impact innovation of Chinese firms," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 1868-1900, September.
    11. Kang, Manho, 2025. "Export competition and innovation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    12. Pian Shu & Claudia Steinwender, 2019. "The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Firm Productivity and Innovation," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(1), pages 39-68.
    13. Liu, Qing & Lu, Ruosi & Lu, Yi & Luong, Tuan Anh, 2021. "Import competition and firm innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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