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Do Portuguese manufacturing firms self select to exports?

Author

Listed:
  • Armando Silva

    (Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal)

  • Óscar Afonso

    (CEF.UP, OBEGEF and Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal)

  • Ana Paula Africano

    (CEF.UP, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Porto)

Abstract

Using a longitudinal database (1996-2003) at the plant level, this paper aims to shed light, on the thesis that most productive domestic firms self select to export markets. Self selection and learning by exporting are two non-mutually exclusive theses that try to explain the high correlation between international trade involvement of firms and their superior performance, relative to domestic firms. In general, we find evidence of a self-selection to exports. However, there is a significant heterogeneity according to the destination of sales, to firms’ import status before exporting and to the specificities of sectors firms’ belong to.

Suggested Citation

  • Armando Silva & Óscar Afonso & Ana Paula Africano, 2010. "Do Portuguese manufacturing firms self select to exports?," FEP Working Papers 371, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    • Handle: RePEc:por:fepwps:371
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    File URL: http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/workingpapers/10.04.22_wp371.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Biljana Jovanovic, 2020. "Export and firms' performance in North Macedonia: self selection or learning by doing?," Working Papers 2020-01, National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia.
    2. Joaquín Monreal-Pérez & Antonio Aragón-Sánchez & Gregorio Sánchez-Marín, 2015. "Do Export Markets Select The Most Innovative Producers? The Moderating Role Of Productivity," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 19(02), pages 1-28.
    3. Valeria Gattai & Giorgia Sali, 2016. "FDI and heterogeneous performance of European enterprises," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 43(1), pages 25-65, March.
    4. Miljana Valdec & Jurica Zrnc, 2015. "The direction of causality between exports and firm performance: microeconomic evidence from Croatia using the matching approach," Financial Theory and Practice, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 39(1), pages 1-30.
    5. Joachim Wagner, 2016. "International Trade and Firm Performance: A Survey of Empirical Studies since 2006," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 2, pages 43-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Dina Cunha & Sandra T. Silva & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2013. "Are Academic Spin-Offs necessarily New Technology-Based firms?," FEP Working Papers 482, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    7. Biljana Jovanovic, 2020. "Export and firms’ performance in North Macedonia: self selection or learning by doing?," Working Papers 2020-00, National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia.
    8. Idris, Bochra & Saridakis, George & Khan, Zaheer, 2022. "The Effect of Outward and Inward Internationalisation on Different Types of Innovation: Evidence from UK SMEs," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Exports; Imports; Self selection;
    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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