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High-End Variety Exporters Defying Distance : Micro Facts and Macroeconomic Implications

Author

Listed:
  • Julien Martin

    (UdeM - Université de Montréal)

  • Florian Mayneris

    (UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain, CORE - Center of Operation Research and Econometrics [Louvain] - UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain, UCL IRES - Institut de recherches économiques et sociales - UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain)

Abstract

We develop a new methodology to identify high-end variety exporters in French fi rm level data. We show that they do not export to many more countries, but they export to more distant ones. This comes with a greater geographic diversi cation of their aggregate exports. In contrast to low-end export(er)s, we find that distance has almost no eff ect on high-end variety export(er)s. We also show that high-end export(er)s are more sensitive to the average income of the destination country. Because of this di erent sensitivity to gravity variables at the micro-level, specializing in the production of high-end varieties has two macroeconomic implications for countries. First, the sources of a country's aggregate exports volatility are modi ed. The higher sensitivity to per capita income increases the sensitivity of high-end variety exports to destination-speci c demand shocks, and thus their volatility on a given market. However, their lower sensitivity to distance allows for a greater geographic diversi cation of their exports, which in turn reduces aggregate volatility through a portfolio e ect. Second, the lower sensitivity to distance allows highend varieties to bene t more from demand growth, especially when it arises in distant markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Julien Martin & Florian Mayneris, 2013. "High-End Variety Exporters Defying Distance : Micro Facts and Macroeconomic Implications," Working Papers hal-00959404, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00959404
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://pse.hal.science/hal-00959404
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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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. Anna Ray & Antoine Vatan, 2013. "Demand for Luxury Goods in a World of Income Disparities," PSE - G-MOND WORKING PAPERS hal-00959398, HAL.
    3. Lionel Fontagné & Sophie Hatte, 2013. "European High-End Products in International Competition," PSE - G-MOND WORKING PAPERS hal-00959394, HAL.
    4. Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Lionel Nesta & Frederic Warzynski, 2016. "International trade and firm-level markups when location and quality matter," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 16(1), pages 67-91.
    5. Bouët, Antoine & Emlinger, Charlotte & Lamani, Viola, 2017. "What Determines Exports of Luxury Products? The Case of Cognac," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 37-58, February.
    6. Ciani, Andrea & Bartoli, Francesca, 2015. "Export quality upgrading under credit constraints," DICE Discussion Papers 191, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    7. Stefaan Decramer & Catherine Fuss & Jozef Konings, 2016. "How Do Exporters React to Changes in Cost Competitiveness?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 1558-1583, October.
    8. Lionel Fontagné & Sophie Hatte, 2014. "European High-End Varieties in International Competition," Working Papers 2014-27, CEPII research center.
    9. Reza Tajaddini & Hassan F. Gholipour, 2018. "Control of Corruption and Luxury Goods Consumption," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(4), pages 613-641, November.
    10. Anna Ray & Antoine Vatan, 2013. "Demand for Luxury Goods in a World of Income Disparities," Working Papers hal-00959398, HAL.
    11. Vincent Boitier & Antoine Vatan, 2014. "Why Do Homogeneous Firms Export Differently ? A Density Externality Approach of Trade," Working Papers 2014-06, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    12. Anna Ray & Antoine Vatan, 2013. "Demand for Luxury Goods in a World of Income Disparities," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00959398, HAL.
    13. Julien Burton & Magdalena Kizior, 2021. "Can We Evaluate the Non-Price Competitiveness of French Products Based on Export Data?," European Economy - Economic Briefs 064, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Vertical di erentiation; Gravity; Distance; Volatility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

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