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International Trade and Firm-level Markups when Location and Quality Matter

Author

Listed:
  • Flora Bellone

    (University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
    GREDEG CNRS)

  • Patrick Musso

    (University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
    GREDEG CNRS)

  • Lionel Nesta

    (OFCE Sciences Po.)

  • Frederic Warzynski

    (Aarhus University)

Abstract

In this paper, we estimate firm-level markups and test some micro-level predictions of a model of international trade with heterogenous firms and endogenous mark-ups. Our theoretical framework is an extended version of the Melitz and Ottaviano (2008) (MO) model which features both quality and spatial differentiation across firms. In line with our model, we find that firm markups are positively related to firm productivity and negatively related to the toughness of local competition. Considering the relationship between firm markups and exports, we find evidence that the quality enhancing channel overbalances the price depressing channel of global competition.

Suggested Citation

  • Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Lionel Nesta & Frederic Warzynski, 2014. "International Trade and Firm-level Markups when Location and Quality Matter," GREDEG Working Papers 2014-37, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    • Handle: RePEc:gre:wpaper:2014-37
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chrysovalantis Amountzias, 2018. "The Effects of Competition, Liquidity and Exports on Markups: Evidence from the UK Food and Beverages Sector," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 187-208, June.
    2. Dobbelaere, Sabien & Kiyota, Kozo, 2018. "Labor market imperfections, markups and productivity in multinationals and exporters," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 198-212.
    3. Caselli, Mauro & Schiavo, Stefano & Nesta, Lionel, 2018. "Markups and markdowns," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 104-107.
    4. Irlacher, Michael & Unger, Florian, 2018. "Effective tax rates, endogenous mark-ups and heterogeneous firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 51-54.
    5. Sergey G. Kokovin & Shamil Sharapudinov & Alexander Tarasov & Philip Ushchev, 2020. "A Theory of Monopolistic Competition with Horizontally Heterogeneous Consumers," CESifo Working Paper Series 8082, CESifo.
    6. R. S.-H. Lee & M. Pak, 2018. "Pro-competitive effects of globalisation on prices, productivity and markups: Evidence in the Euro Area," Documents de Travail de l'Insee - INSEE Working Papers g2018-06, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques.
    7. Sarah Guillou & Lionel Nesta, 2015. "Markup heterogeneity, export status ans the establishment of the euro," Sciences Po publications 2015-01, Sciences Po.
    8. Curzi, Daniele & Schuster, Monica & Maertens, Miet & Olper, Alessandro, 2020. "Standards, trade margins and product quality: Firm-level evidence from Peru," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    9. Alexander Osharin & Valery Verbus & Irina Bakunina & Vera Silaeva & Marina Silaeva, 2020. "Markups in a two-country monopolistic competition model of trade with heterogeneous consumers," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Chen, Natalie & Juvenal, Luciana, 2016. "Quality, trade, and exchange rate pass-through," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 61-80.
    11. Stefano Schiavo & Lionel Nesta, 2017. "International Competition and Rent Sharing in French Manufacturing," DEM Working Papers 2017/07, Department of Economics and Management.
    12. Lorde, Troy & Jacob, Jadon & Weekes, Quinn, 2018. "Price-Setting Behavior in a Tourism Sharing Economy Accommodation Market: A Hedonic Price Analysis of AirBnB Hosts in the Caribbean," MPRA Paper 95475, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Chrysovalantis Amountzias, 2019. "Pricing Decisions and Competitive Conduct Across Manufacturing Sectors: Evidence from 19 European Union Manufacturing Industries," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 413-440, September.
    14. Osharin Alexander & Verbus Valery, 2015. "Heterogeneous consumers and market structure in a monopolistically competitive setting," EERC Working Paper Series 15/03e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    15. Umut Kilinç, 2019. "Export Destination Characteristics and Markups: The Role of Country Size," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 86(341), pages 116-138, January.
    16. Zhang, Hongyong & Zhu, Lianming, 2017. "Markups and exporting behavior of foreign affiliates," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 445-455.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Markups; Productivity; Exports; Firm-level data; France;

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance

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