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Buyer investment, export variety, and intrafirm trade

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  • Chen, Yongmin
  • Feenstra, Robert C.

Abstract

This paper studies a model of buyer investment and its effect on the variety and vertical structure of international trade. A distinction is made between two types of buyer investment: "Flexible" and "specific", which differ in the ability of a buyer to match with a seller. The interaction of buyer investment with the entry and pricing incentives of suppliers are analyzed. It is shown that (i) there can be multiple equilibria in the variety of products traded, and (ii) less product variety is associated with more intrafirm trade. The possibility of multiple equilibria is consistent with the observation that some similar economies, such as Taiwan and South Korea, differ substantially in their export varieties to the U.S. A cross-country empirical analysis confirms the negative correlation between export variety and intrafirm trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Yongmin & Feenstra, Robert C., 2008. "Buyer investment, export variety, and intrafirm trade," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(8), pages 1313-1337, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:52:y:2008:i:8:p:1313-1337
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Catherine Mann, 2011. "Information Technology, Globalization, and Growth: Role for Scale Economies, Terms of Trade, and Variety," Working Papers 27, Brandeis University, Department of Economics and International Business School.
    2. Pol Antràs, 2014. "Grossman–Hart (1986) Goes Global: Incomplete Contracts, Property Rights, and the International Organization of Production," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(suppl_1), pages 118-175.
    3. Madsen, Jakob B. & Saxena, Shishir & Ang, James B., 2010. "The Indian growth miracle and endogenous growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 37-48, September.
    4. Pol Antràs & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2009. "Organizations and Trade," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 1(1), pages 43-64, May.
    5. Antrà s, Pol & Yeaple, Stephen R., 2014. "Multinational Firms and the Structure of International Trade," Handbook of International Economics, in: Gopinath, G. & Helpman, . & Rogoff, K. (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 55-130, Elsevier.

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