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Export and import market-specific characteristics

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  • Francesco Serti
  • Chiara Tomasi

Abstract

Using a rich firm-level dataset on the Italian manufacturing industry, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the role that firms and market characteristics play in shaping firms’ trade activities. We enhance the previous analyses by considering firms’ engagement in international transactions, by focusing on either exports or imports. We show that the determinants of a firm’s export participation and value across countries also drive import behavior. Our research is consistent with the presence of country-specific sunk costs and with a qualitatively similar role of gravity forces and other country attributes on both sides of trading activities. Our evidence, however, militates in favor of a framework where variations in market characteristics have a larger impact on imports than exports. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi, 2014. "Export and import market-specific characteristics," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1467-1496, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:47:y:2014:i:4:p:1467-1496
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-013-0783-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Bastos, Paulo & Silva, Joana, 2010. "The quality of a firm's exports: Where you export to matters," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(2), pages 99-111, November.
    2. Min Zhu & Chiara Tomasi, 2020. "Firms' imports and quality upgrading: Evidence from Chinese firms," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(5), pages 1371-1397, May.
    3. Antonio Navas & Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi, 2020. "The role of the gravity forces on firms’ trade," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(3), pages 1059-1097, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Heterogeneous firms; Exports; Imports; Market-specific trade costs; F10; F16; J21;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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