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Do Firms Learn by Exporting or Learn to Export?: Evidence from Senegalese Manufacturing Plant

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  • Fatou Cissé
  • Ji Eun Choi

Abstract

The increasing quantity of literature investigating the impact of trade openness on firm efficiency has not yet provided a definite prediction of the direction of causality. This paper investigates how the relationship between exporting and productivity impacts on manufacturing sectors in Senegal. Using unique firm-level panel data for the period 1998-2011, we estimate productivity and exporting dynamics, controlling for other unobserved effects, and using General Method of Moments.

Suggested Citation

  • Fatou Cissé & Ji Eun Choi, 2015. "Do Firms Learn by Exporting or Learn to Export?: Evidence from Senegalese Manufacturing Plant," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-057, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2015-057
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2015-057.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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