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Do Imports Spur Incremental Innovation in the South?

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  • Lu, Yi
  • Ng, Travis

Abstract

We estimate that a one-standard-deviation increase in a firm's import penetration ratio raises its likelihood of having engaged in an incremental innovation by 4.48% using a random-sampled firm survey in China. The estimate is close to those in Gorodnichenko, Svejnar and Terrell (2010). A number of empirical strategies rule out alternative explanations as sufficient drivers of our result. Competitive pressure from imports is shown to be an underlying mechanism through which imports spur incremental innovation. We discuss how the link between imports and innovation in the South differ from that in the North.

Suggested Citation

  • Lu, Yi & Ng, Travis, 2012. "Do Imports Spur Incremental Innovation in the South?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 819-832.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:23:y:2012:i:4:p:819-832
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2012.04.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Ksenia Gonchar & Boris Kuznetsov, 2018. "How import integration changes firms’ decisions to innovate," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 60(3), pages 501-528, May.
    2. Simon Ndicu & Dianah Ngui & Laura Barasa, 2024. "Technological Catch-Up, Innovation, and Productivity Analysis of National Innovation Systems in Developing Countries in Africa 2010–2018," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7941-7967, June.
    3. Dung Nguyen‐Van & Chia‐Hua Chang, 2021. "Internationalization and product innovation in ASEAN: The moderating role of organizational innovation," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 437-462, March.
    4. Angus C. Chu & Haichao Fan & Yuichi Furukawa & Zonglai Kou & Xueyue Liu, 2021. "Minimum Wages, Import Status, And Firms' Innovation: Theory And Evidence From China," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 441-458, January.
    5. Syeda Tamkeen Fatima, 2017. "Globalization and technology adoption: evidence from emerging economies," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(6), pages 724-758, August.
    6. Feng, Gen-Fu & Zheng, Mingbo & Wen, Jun & Chang, Chun-Ping & Chen, Yin E., 2019. "The assessment of globalization on innovation in Chinese manufacturing firms," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 190-202.
    7. Tat‐kei Lai & Travis Ng, 2014. "The impact of product market competition on training provision: Evidence from Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(3), pages 856-888, August.
    8. Abubakar, Yazid Abdullahi & Hand, Chris & Smallbone, David & Saridakis, George, 2019. "What specific modes of internationalization influence SME innovation in Sub-Saharan least developed countries (LDCs)?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 56-70.
    9. Chen, Zhiyuan & Zhang, Jie & Zheng, Wenping, 2017. "Import and innovation: Evidence from Chinese firms," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 205-220.
    10. Chu, Angus C. & Furukawa, Yuichi & Kou, Zonglai & Liu, Xueyue, 2019. "Effects of Minimum Wage on Import and Innovation: Theory and Evidence from China," MPRA Paper 97008, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Niu, Peng & Yang, Yujia & Sun, Lirong, 2023. "High quality imports and green innovation," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 2(2).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Imports; Import Competition; Trade; Innovation; Incremental Innovation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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