IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/apacel/v34y2020i2p39-63.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effectiveness of industrial policy on firm productivity: evidence from Thai manufacturing

Author

Listed:
  • Juthathip Jongwanich
  • Archanun Kohpaiboon

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of industrial policy on firm productivity, using a three‐year panel data set of Thai manufacturing as a case study. A range of industrial policy tools is defined, including tariff measures, subsidies, and investment incentives through the Board of Investment (BOI), which represent the main industrial policy tools used in Thailand. The effect of ‘water in the tariffs’ and partial trade liberalisation undertaken through free trade agreements (FTAs) signed between Thailand and her trading partners is also examined. The key findings concern the role traditional tools, that is trade openness, R&D, and skills upgrading, play in fostering firm productivity. Promoting a conducive environment, especially within domestic competition, is crucial in encouraging firm productivity. Some industrial policy tools are effective in promoting firm productivity, that is providing investment incentives via the BOI and lowering tariff protection. Subsidies, by contrast, tend to degrade firm productivity. Among trade protection measures, the effective rate of protection, which includes water in the tariffs encountered by exporting firms, has the greatest effect on firm productivity. The FTA‐led trade liberalisation fails to add substantial competitive pressure and induce firms to improve productivity. Such statistical insignificance reflects the nature of FTA commitments that Thailand has made so far.

Suggested Citation

  • Juthathip Jongwanich & Archanun Kohpaiboon, 2020. "Effectiveness of industrial policy on firm productivity: evidence from Thai manufacturing," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 34(2), pages 39-63, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:apacel:v:34:y:2020:i:2:p:39-63
    DOI: 10.1111/apel.12311
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/apel.12311
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/apel.12311?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Athukorala, Prema-Chandra & Jongwanich, Juthathip, 2012. "How Effective are Capital Controls? Evidence from Malaysia," Asian Development Review, Asian Development Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 1-47.
    2. Philippe Aghion & Jing Cai & Mathias Dewatripont & Luosha Du & Ann Harrison & Patrick Legros, 2022. "Industrial Policy and Competition," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 15, pages 349-380, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Hayakawa Kazunobu, 2015. "Impacts of FTA Utilization on Firm Performance," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 15(3), pages 1325-1352, July.
    4. Jongwanich, Juthathip & Kohpaiboon, Archanun, 2012. "Effectiveness of Capital Controls: Evidence from Thailand," Asian Development Review, Asian Development Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 50-93.
    5. Howard Pack & Kamal Saggi, 2006. "Is There a Case for Industrial Policy? A Critical Survey," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 21(2), pages 267-297.
    6. Jongwanich, Juthathip, 2019. "Capital controls in emerging East Asia: How do they affect investment flows?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 17-38.
    7. Olley, G Steven & Pakes, Ariel, 1996. "The Dynamics of Productivity in the Telecommunications Equipment Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(6), pages 1263-1297, November.
    8. Magnus Blomström & Ari Kokko & Mario Zejan, 2000. "Technology, Market Characteristics and Spillovers," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Foreign Direct Investment, chapter 10, pages 160-176, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    10. Juthathip Jongwanich, 2020. "Export diversification, margins and economic growth at industrial level: Evidence from Thailand," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(10), pages 2674-2722, October.
    11. Taylor, Alan M., 1998. "On the Costs of Inward-Looking Development: Price Distortions, Growth, and Divergence in Latin America," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 58(1), pages 1-28, March.
    12. Bruce Greenwald & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2006. "Helping Infant Economies Grow: Foundations of Trade Policies for Developing Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 141-146, May.
    13. Melitz, Marc J., 2005. "When and how should infant industries be protected?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 177-196, May.
    14. Mary Amiti & Jozef Konings, 2007. "Trade Liberalization, Intermediate Inputs, and Productivity: Evidence from Indonesia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(5), pages 1611-1638, December.
    15. Archanun Kohpaiboon & Juthathip Jongwanich, 2013. "International Production Networks, Clusters, and Industrial Upgrading: Evidence from Automotive and Hard Disk Drive Industries in Thailand," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 30(2), pages 211-239, March.
    16. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    17. Petia Topalova & Amit Khandelwal, 2011. "Trade Liberalization and Firm Productivity: The Case of India," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(3), pages 995-1009, August.
    18. Corden, W. Max., 1997. "Trade Policy and Economic Welfare," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780198775348.
    19. Christopher Freeman, 2008. "Systems of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12797.
    20. Michele Di Maio, 2008. "Industrial Policies in Developing Countries: History and Perspectives," Working Papers 48-2008, Macerata University, Department of Finance and Economic Sciences, revised Oct 2008.
    21. Lili Yan Ing & Fukunari Kimura, . "Production Networks in Southeast Asia," Books, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), number routledge-eria edited by Lili Yan Ing & Fukunari Kimura, January.
    22. Archanun Kohpaiboon, 2006. "Multinational Enterprises and Industrial Transformation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12561.
    23. Altenburg, Tilman, 2011. "Industrial policy in developing countries: overview and lessons from seven country cases," IDOS Discussion Papers 4/2011, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    24. Juthathip Jongwanich & Archanun Kohpaiboon, 2017. "Trade Protection and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Thai Manufacturing," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 55(2), pages 130-157, June.
    25. Cimoli, Mario & Dosi, Giovanni & Stiglitz, Joseph E. (ed.), 2009. "Industrial Policy and Development: The Political Economy of Capabilities Accumulation," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199235278.
    26. Miaojie Yu, 2015. "Processing Trade, Tariff Reductions and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Chinese Firms," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 125(585), pages 943-988, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Juthathip Jongwanich, 2022. "Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Export Structures in Thailand," Discussion Papers 20230617, Thammasat University, Faculty of Economics, revised May 2022.
    2. Jongwanich, Juthathip & Kohpaiboon, Archanun & Obashi, Ayako, 2022. "Technological advancement, import penetration and labour markets: Evidence from Thailand," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Juthathip Jongwanich, 2024. "Trade liberalisation and the wage premium: evidence from Thai manufacturing," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 38(1), pages 3-33, May.
    2. Nathaniel Lane, 2020. "The New Empirics of Industrial Policy," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 209-234, June.
    3. Harrison, Ann E. & Rodriguez-Clare, Andres, 2009. "Trade, Foreign Investment, and Industrial Policy," MPRA Paper 15561, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Li, Mingyang & Jin, Man & Kumbhakar, Subal C., 2022. "Do subsidies increase firm productivity? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(1), pages 388-400.
    5. Mao, Qilin & Sheng, Bin, 2017. "The impact of tariff reductions on firm dynamics and productivity in China: Does market-oriented transition matter?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 168-194.
    6. Cai, Meng & Cui, Riming & Li, Dan, 2023. "Trade with innovation benefits: A re-appraisal using micro data from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    7. Sai Ding & Puyang Sun & Wei Jiang, 2019. "The Effect of Foreign Entry Regulation on Downstream Productivity: Microeconomic Evidence from China," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(3), pages 925-959, July.
    8. Gonzalo Varela & Juan Pedro Gambetta & Federico Ganz & Andreas Eberhard & Sebastian Franco & Stefania Lovo, 2020. "Import Duties and Performance," World Bank Publications - Reports 33886, The World Bank Group.
    9. Haichao Fan & Yao Amber Li & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2015. "Trade Liberalization, Quality, and Export Prices," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(5), pages 1033-1051, December.
    10. Harrison, Ann & Rodríguez-Clare, Andrés, 2010. "Trade, Foreign Investment, and Industrial Policy for Developing Countries," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4039-4214, Elsevier.
    11. Qilin Mao & Jiayun Xu, 2024. "Zombie firms, misallocation and manufacturing capacity utilization rate: Evidence from China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(2), pages 641-682, April.
    12. Tilman Altenburg & Wilfried Lütkenhorst, 2015. "Industrial Policy in Developing Countries," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14726.
    13. Baybars Karacaovali, 2011. "Productivity Matters For Trade Policy: Theory And Evidence," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 52(1), pages 33-62, February.
    14. Luosha Du & Ann Harrison & Gary Jefferson, 2022. "FDI Spillovers and Industrial Policy: The Role of Tariffs and Tax Holidays," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 9, pages 215-232, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    15. Lu, Jiankun & Zhang, Hongsheng & Meng, Bo, 2021. "Corruption, firm productivity, and gains from import liberalization in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    16. Qiu, Larry D. & Yu, Miaojie, 2020. "Export scope, managerial efficiency, and trade liberalization: Evidence from Chinese firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 71-90.
    17. Zhang, Ming & Zhao, Yingxue, 2023. "Does environmental regulation spur innovation? Quasi-natural experiment in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    18. Zhengwen Liu & Hong Ma, 2021. "Input Trade Liberalization And Markup Distribution: Evidence From China," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 344-360, January.
    19. Fan, Haichao & Li, Yao Amber & Yeaple, Stephen R., 2018. "On the relationship between quality and productivity: Evidence from China's accession to the WTO," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 28-49.
    20. Inmaculada Martínez Zarzoso & Mona Said & Chahir Zaki, 2021. "Trade policy and input liberalization: The effect on Egyptian firms’ productivity," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 1305-1325, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:apacel:v:34:y:2020:i:2:p:39-63. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14678411 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.