IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/chieco/v41y2016icp129-147.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Domestic railroad infrastructure and exports: Evidence from the Silk Route

Author

Listed:
  • Xu, Hangtian

Abstract

By exploiting a quasi-experiment affecting only non-monetary transport cost, this study tests the impact of an exogenous railroad speed enhancement and capacity expansion project (RSCP) on China's exports to Central Asia. The Longhai and Lanxin lines in China, linking the East and the West, were upgraded on October 21, 2000, improving freight efficiency between Eastern China and Xinjiang, the gateway from China to Central Asia. By employing a transaction-level export database, empirical results find that exports freighted on the upgraded rail lines increased in value by approximately 30%, compared with other freight modes. The results are robust by excluding specific observations with respect to the demand fluctuations and macroeconomic shocks, and including additional controls. The intensive margin, but not the extensive margin, played a major role in explaining the impact of railroad upgrades on exports. In addition, the project caused spatial reorganization in exporting activities. The share of Xinjiang exporters in the Central Asia market shrank, while Xinjiang's exports to other international markets expanded through better accessibility to the coast.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Hangtian, 2016. "Domestic railroad infrastructure and exports: Evidence from the Silk Route," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 129-147.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:41:y:2016:i:c:p:129-147
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2016.09.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043951X16301262
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.chieco.2016.09.005?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David L. Hummels & Georg Schaur, 2013. "Time as a Trade Barrier," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(7), pages 2935-2959, December.
    2. Tomoya Mori, 2012. "Increasing returns in transportation and the formation of hubs," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(4), pages 877-897, July.
    3. Coşar, A. Kerem & Demir, Banu, 2016. "Domestic road infrastructure and international trade: Evidence from Turkey," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 232-244.
    4. Tang, John P., 2014. "Railroad Expansion and Industrialization: Evidence from Meiji Japan," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 74(3), pages 863-886, September.
    5. Feyrer, James, 2021. "Distance, trade, and income — The 1967 to 1975 closing of the Suez canal as a natural experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    6. Zsoka Koczan & Alexander Plekhanov, 2013. "How important are non-tariff barriers? Complementarity of infrastructure and institutions of trading partners," Working Papers 159, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Office of the Chief Economist.
    7. Guy Michaels, 2008. "The Effect of Trade on the Demand for Skill: Evidence from the Interstate Highway System," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(4), pages 683-701, November.
    8. M. Shahe Emran & Zhaoyang Hou, 2013. "Access to Markets and Rural Poverty: Evidence from Household Consumption in China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(2), pages 682-697, May.
    9. Gilles Duranton & Peter M. Morrow & Matthew A. Turner, 2014. "Roads and Trade: Evidence from the US," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(2), pages 681-724.
    10. Volpe Martincus, Christian & Blyde, Juan, 2013. "Shaky roads and trembling exports: Assessing the trade effects of domestic infrastructure using a natural experiment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 148-161.
    11. Porto, Guido G., 2005. "Informal export barriers and poverty," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 447-470, July.
    12. Li, Zhigang & Chen, Yu, 2013. "Estimating the social return to transport infrastructure: A price-difference approach applied to a quasi-experiment," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 669-683.
    13. Pedro Albarran & Raquel Carrasco & Adelheid Holl, 2013. "Domestic transport infrastructure and firms’ export market participation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 879-898, May.
    14. Jean-François Arvis & Gaël Raballand & Jean-François Marteau, 2010. "The Cost of Being Landlocked : Logistics Costs and Supply Chain Reliability," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2489.
    15. Donald J. Rousslang & Theodore To, 1993. "Domestic Trade and Transportation Costs as Barriers to International Trade," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 26(1), pages 208-221, February.
    16. Duranton, Gilles, 2015. "Roads and trade in Colombia," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 16-36.
    17. Benjamin Faber, 2014. "Trade Integration, Market Size, and Industrialization: Evidence from China's National Trunk Highway System," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(3), pages 1046-1070.
    18. Juan Blyde, 2013. "Paving the Road to Export: Assessing the Trade Impact of Road Quality," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(4), pages 663-681, December.
    19. Simeon Djankov & Caroline Freund & Cong S. Pham, 2010. "Trading on Time," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(1), pages 166-173, February.
    20. Gaël Raballand, 2003. "Determinants of the Negative Impact of Being Landlocked on Trade: An Empirical Investigation Through the Central Asian Case," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 45(4), pages 520-536, December.
    21. Juan Blyde & Gonzalo Iberti, 2014. "A Better Pathway to Export: How the Quality of Road Infrastructure Affects Export Performance," The International Trade Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 3-22, March.
    22. Gaël Raballand & Agnès Andrésy, 2007. "Why should trade between Central Asia and China continue to expand?," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 235-252, June.
    23. Volpe Martincus, Christian & Carballo, Jerónimo & Garcia, Pablo M. & Graziano, Alejandro, 2014. "How do transport costs affect firms’ exports? Evidence from a vanishing bridge," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 149-153.
    24. Marian Rizov & Xufei Zhang, 2014. "Regional disparities and productivity in China: Evidence from manufacturing micro data," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(2), pages 321-339, 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. Kamalbek Karymshakov & Burulcha Sulaimanova, 2021. "The impact of infrastructure on trade in Central Asia," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 5-20, December.
    2. Gao, Longfei & Tang, Yao, 2024. "Domestic Transportation Infrastructure and Export Performance of Multiproduct Firms: The Role of Domestic Intermediate Inputs," MPRA Paper 121155, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Jarosław M. Nazarczuk & Stanisław Umiński & Tomasz Brodzicki, 2020. "Determinants of the spatial distribution of exporters in regions: the role of ownership," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 64(3), pages 547-574, June.
    4. Yongyou Nie & Junhao Jiang, 2024. "The Impact of Highway Transportation Infrastructure on Carbon Emissions in the Yangtze River Delta Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Ke, Xiao & Chen, Haiqiang & Hong, Yongmiao & Hsiao, Cheng, 2017. "Do China's high-speed-rail projects promote local economy?—New evidence from a panel data approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 203-226.
    6. Weidong Li & Olli-Pekka Hilmola, 2019. "Belt and Road Initiative and Railway Sector Efficiency—Application of Networked Benchmarking Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-21, April.

    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. Marta Santagata, 2022. "Roads and intra‐national trade: Evidence from Italian regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(6), pages 1383-1409, December.
    2. Coşar, A. Kerem & Demir, Banu, 2016. "Domestic road infrastructure and international trade: Evidence from Turkey," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 232-244.
    3. Wu, Mingqin & Yu, Linhui & Zhang, Junsen, 2023. "Road expansion, allocative efficiency, and pro-competitive effect of transport infrastructure: Evidence from China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Hangtian Xu, 2014. "Revisit' the Silk Road: A Quasi-Experiment Approach Estimating the Effects of Railway Speed-Up Project on China-Central Asia Exports," ERSA conference papers ersa14p78, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Pablo D. Fajgelbaum & Edouard Schaal, 2020. "Optimal Transport Networks in Spatial Equilibrium," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(4), pages 1411-1452, July.
    6. Hayakawa, Kazunobu & Keola, Souknilanh & Sudsawasd, Sasatra & Yamanouchi, Kenta, 2022. "Impacts of an international bridge on households: Evidence from Thailand," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    7. Gáfaro, Margarita & Pellegrina, Heitor S., 2022. "Trade, farmers’ heterogeneity, and agricultural productivity: Evidence from Colombia," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    8. Gao, Longfei & Tang, Yao, 2024. "Domestic Transportation Infrastructure and Export Performance of Multiproduct Firms: The Role of Domestic Intermediate Inputs," MPRA Paper 121155, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Brian Blankespoor & M Shahe Emran & Forhad Shilpi & Lu Xu, 2022. "Bridge to bigpush or backwash? Market integration, reallocation and productivity effects of Jamuna Bridge in Bangladesh [Agricultural technology choice and transport]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(4), pages 853-871.
    10. Ma, Liya & Niu, Dongxiao & Sun, Weizeng, 2021. "Transportation infrastructure and entrepreneurship: Evidence from high-speed railway in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    11. Wang, Cong & Yang, Hangjun & Yuan, Hang, 2018. "The impact of railway reform on corporate export: The case of China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 627-647.
    12. Baniya, Suprabha & Murray, Siobhan & Rocha, Nadia & Ruta, Michele, 2018. "Trade Effects of the New Silk Road," Conference papers 333010, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    13. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio & Santagata, Marta, 2022. "Transport Infrastructure and Trade: A Survey of the Empirical Literature," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 75(4), pages 447-464.
    14. Sheila Kaminchia, 2020. "Effect of transit road quality on trade costs in East Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(3), pages 316-326, September.
    15. Volpe Martincus, Christian & Carballo, Jerónimo & Cusolito, Ana, 2017. "Roads, exports and employment: Evidence from a developing country," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 21-39.
    16. David B Audretsch & Dirk Christian Dohse & João Pereira dos Santos, 0. "The effects of highway tolls on private business activity—results from a natural experiment," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(6), pages 1331-1357.
    17. Dongxiao Niu & Weizeng Sun & Siqi Zheng, 2020. "Travel costs, trade, and market segmentation: Evidence from China's high‐speed railway," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(6), pages 1799-1825, December.
    18. Fajgelbaum, Pablo & Redding, Stephen, 2014. "External integration, structural transformation and economic development: evidence from Argentina," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60285, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Demir, Banu & Cosar, Kerem & Ghose, Devaki & Young, Nathaniel, 2021. "Road Capacity, Domestic Trade and Regional Outcomes," CEPR Discussion Papers 16512, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. Redding, Stephen & Fajgelbaum, Pablo, 2014. "External Integration, Structural Transformation and Economic Development: Evidence from Argentina 1870-1914," CEPR Discussion Papers 10026, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transport infrastructure; Trade; Time cost; Spatial reorganization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General

    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:eee:chieco:v:41:y:2016:i:c:p:129-147. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/chieco .

    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.