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Which Portuguese Manufacturing Firms Learn by Exporting?

Author

Listed:
  • Armando Silva

    (Escola Superior de Estudos Industriais e de Gestão do Instituto Politécnico do Porto)

  • Óscar Afonso

    (Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia)

  • Ana Paula Africano

    (Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia)

Abstract

Using a longitudinal database (1996-2003) at the plant level, this paper aims to shed light on the causal nexus between international trade engagement and productivity in Portugal. We analyse in particular the learning-by-exporting hypotheses. In line with recent empirical literature, we apply mainly the Propensity Score Matching and a differences-in-differences estimator. In post-entry years we find a higher growth of labour productivity and total factor productivity for new exporting firms when compared to firms that, although having similar characteristics, have decided not to begin exporting in that year. Moreover, in an attempt to uncover the channels through which the learning effects are driven to new exporters, we applied the same methodology to some sub-samples. We found that learning effects are higher for new exporters that are also importers or start importing at the same time. Other important factors influencing that learning ability are found in firms that export to more developed markets, in those that achieve a certain threshold of export intensity and particularly for those firms that belong to sectors in which Portugal is at a comparative disadvantage

Suggested Citation

  • Armando Silva & Óscar Afonso & Ana Paula Africano, 2010. "Which Portuguese Manufacturing Firms Learn by Exporting?," GEE Papers 0026, Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia, revised Sep 2010.
  • Handle: RePEc:mde:wpaper:0026
    as

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    File URL: https://www.gee.gov.pt/RePEc/WorkingPapers/GEE_PAPERS_26.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2010
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew B. Bernard & Jonathan Eaton & J. Bradford Jensen & Samuel Kortum, 2003. "Plants and Productivity in International Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(4), pages 1268-1290, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Izak Atiyas, 2011. "Firm-Level Data In The Mena Region: Research Questions, Data Requirements And Possibilities," Middle East Development Journal (MEDJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(02), pages 159-190.
    2. Ramos Ruiz, José & Polo Otero, José & Arrieta Barcasnegras, Aquiles & Vega Cárcamo, Jean, 2018. "Impacto de la innovación en marketing sobre la conducta exportadora de las empresas del sector agroindustrial español || Impact of Marketing Innovation on Exporting Behavior for Spanish Agro-Industry ," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 25(1), pages 54-71, Junio.
    3. Izak Atiyas, 2011. "Firm Level Data in The ERF Region: Research Questions, Data Requirements and Possibilities," Working Papers 589, Economic Research Forum, revised 06 Jan 2011.
    4. Lööf, Hans & Nabavi, Pardis, 2013. "Learning and Productivity of Swedish Exporting Firms: The importance of Innovation Efforts and the Geography of Innovation," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 296, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Exports; Imports; Self-Selection; Learning-by-exporting; Matching;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity

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