IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/121691.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Trade shocks and industrial location: the impact of EEC accession on the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Overman, Henry George
  • Winters, L. Alan

Abstract

This paper combines detailed production data (from the ARD) with international trade data by port to examine the impact of accession to the EEC on the location of UK manufacturing. The paper has two main objectives. The first is to test the implications of models of economic geography for the location of economic activity in a developed economy subject to a significant trade shock. The second is to shed new light on the implications of EEC accession for the UK economy. Our results suggest that accession did eventually encourage UK manufacturing to relocate towards the South-East but that within the aggregate some industries retreated north-westwards in the face of increased import competition. Methodologically we have found that proximity to the ports through which trade occurs is a proxy for export market access and import competition and thus helps to explain industrial location. We have also found that the port-composition of UK trade is partly determined by the country-composition of trade. UK accession changed the country-composition of UK trade and via the port-composition induced an exogenous shock to the relative degrees of export market access and import competition in different UK locations. Our results show that employment responded as predicted to these shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Overman, Henry George & Winters, L. Alan, 2003. "Trade shocks and industrial location: the impact of EEC accession on the UK," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121691, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:121691
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/121691/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nina Pavcnik, 2002. "Trade Liberalization, Exit, and Productivity Improvements: Evidence from Chilean Plants," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 69(1), pages 245-276.
    2. Tybout, James & de Melo, Jamie & Corbo, Vittorio, 1991. "The effects of trade reforms on scale and technical efficiency : New evidence from Chile," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3-4), pages 231-250, November.
    3. Levinsohn, James, 1993. "Testing the imports-as-market-discipline hypothesis," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1-2), pages 1-22, August.
    4. Richard Baldwin & Rikard Forslid & Philippe Martin & Gianmarco Ottaviano & Frederic Robert-Nicoud, 2005. "Economic Geography and Public Policy," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 7524.
    5. Daniel Trefler, 2004. "The Long and Short of the Canada-U. S. Free Trade Agreement," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 870-895, September.
    6. Winters, L Alan, 1984. "British Imports of Manufactures and the Common Market," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 36(1), pages 103-118, March.
    7. Tybout, James R. & Westbrook, M. Daniel, 1995. "Trade liberalization and the dimensions of efficiency change in Mexican manufacturing industries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1-2), pages 53-78, August.
    8. Michael Gasiorek & Alasdair Smith & Anthony J. Venables, 2002. "The Accession of the UK to the EC: A Welfare Analysis," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 425-447, September.
    9. James R. Tybout, 2000. "Manufacturing Firms in Developing Countries: How Well Do They Do, and Why?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(1), pages 11-44, March.
    10. Ottaviano, Gianmarco & Thisse, Jacques-Francois, 2004. "Agglomeration and economic geography," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: J. V. Henderson & J. F. Thisse (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 58, pages 2563-2608, Elsevier.
    11. Hanson, Gordon H, 1996. "Localization Economies, Vertical Organization, and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(5), pages 1266-1278, December.
    12. Eugene Beaulieu, 2000. "The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and labour market adjustment in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(2), pages 540-563, May.
    13. Fujita,Masahisa & Thisse,Jacques-François, 2013. "Economics of Agglomeration," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107001411, October.
    14. Henry G Overman & L Alan Winters, 2005. "The Port Geography of UK International Trade," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(10), pages 1751-1768, October.
    15. Richard Baldwin & Rikard Forslid & Philippe Martin & Gianmarco Ottaviano & Frederic Robert-Nicoud, 2005. "Economic Geography and Public Policy," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 7524.
    16. Hanson, Gordon H., 1998. "Regional adjustment to trade liberalization," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 419-444, July.
    17. Krugman, Paul & Elizondo, Raul Livas, 1996. "Trade policy and the Third World metropolis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 137-150, April.
    18. Rachel Griffith, 1999. "Using the ARD establishment level data to look at foreign ownership and productivity in the UK," IFS Working Papers W99/06, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    19. J.Peter Neary, 2001. "Of Hype and Hyperbolas: Introducing the New Economic Geography," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(2), pages 536-561, June.
    20. Hanson, Gordon H, 1997. "Increasing Returns, Trade and the Regional Structure of Wages," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(440), pages 113-133, January.
    21. A G Hoare, 1977. "The Geography of British Exports," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 9(2), pages 121-136, February.
    22. A G Hoare, 1988. "Geographical Aspects of British Overseas Trade: A Framework and a Review," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 20(10), pages 1345-1364, October.
    23. Gaston, Noel & Trefler, Daniel, 1995. "Union wage sensitivity to trade and protection: Theory and evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1-2), pages 1-25, August.
    24. James R. Tybout, 2001. "Plant- and Firm-Level Evidence on "New" Trade Theories," NBER Working Papers 8418, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Noel Gaston & Daniel Trefler, 1994. "Protection, Trade, and Wages: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 47(4), pages 574-593, July.
    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. Stephen J. Redding & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2017. "Quantitative Spatial Economics," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 21-58, September.
    2. Henry G Overman & L Alan Winters, 2005. "The Port Geography of UK International Trade," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(10), pages 1751-1768, October.
    3. Stephen J. Redding, 2010. "The Empirics Of New Economic Geography," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 297-311, February.
    4. Miren Lafourcade & Elisenda Paluzie, 2011. "European Integration, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and the Geography of French Trade," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(4), pages 419-439.
    5. Stephen J. Redding, 2020. "Trade and geography," CEP Discussion Papers dp1718, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    6. Miren Lafourcade & Elisenda Paluzie Hernandez, 2005. "European Integration, FDI and the Internal Geography of Trade: Evidence from Western European Border Regions," Working Papers in Economics 145, Universitat de Barcelona. Espai de Recerca en Economia.
    7. Trejo Nieto , Alejandra Berenice, 2010. "The geographic concentration in Mexican manufacturing industries, an account of patterns, dynamics and explanations: 1988-2003," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 18, pages 37-60.
    8. Miren Lafourcade & Elisenda Paluzie, 2008. "European integration, FDI and the geography of French trade," Working Papers halshs-00586834, HAL.
    9. Filipe Lage-De-Sousa, 2006. "Trade Shocks in Brazil: An Investigation of Effects on Regional Manufacturing Wages," ERSA conference papers ersa06p441, European Regional Science Association.
    10. Stephen J. Redding, 2013. "Economic Geography: A Review of the Theoretical and Empirical Literature," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Daniel Bernhofen & Rod Falvey & David Greenaway & Udo Kreickemeier (ed.), Palgrave Handbook of International Trade, chapter 16, pages 497-531, Palgrave Macmillan.
    11. Winters, L Alan & Overman, Henry, 2004. "The Geography of UK International Trade," CEPR Discussion Papers 4259, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Alejandra Trejo Nieto, 2010. "The aftermath of openness and integration in the Mexican manufacturing," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 30(1), pages 23-44, February.
    13. Lage de Sousa, Filipe, 2010. "Regional manufacturing wages: dancing to the tune of trade shocks," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 33500, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Mitze, Timo & Breidenbach, Philipp, 2023. "The complex regional effects of macro-institutional shocks: Evidence from EU economic integration over three decades," Ruhr Economic Papers 1007, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    15. Benjamin Faber, 2007. "Towards the Spatial Patterns of Sectoral Adjustments to Trade Liberalisation: The Case of NAFTA in Mexico," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 567-594, December.
    16. Fang, Ling & Kleimann, Martin & Li, Yuan & Schmerer, Hans-Jörg, 2021. "The implications of the New Silk Road Railways on local development," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    17. Alejandra Trejo, 2011. "Territorial Competitiveness In A Globalised Economy: The Role Of Transport Costs And Liberalisation," ERSA conference papers ersa10p178, European Regional Science Association.

    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. Henry G. Overman & L. Alan Winters, 2011. "Trade And Economic Geography: The Impact Of Eec Accession On The Uk," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 79(5), pages 994-1017, September.
    2. Henry Overman & L. Alan Winters, 2004. "The Geography of UK International Trade," CEP Discussion Papers dp0606, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Maria Florencia Granato, 2011. "REGIONAL NEW ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY (refereed paper)," ERSA conference papers ersa10p747, European Regional Science Association.
    4. Sanguinetti, Pablo & Volpe Martincus, Christian, 2009. "Tariffs and manufacturing location in Argentina," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 155-167, March.
    5. Helena Marques, 2008. "Trade And Factor Flows In A Diverse Eu: What Lessons For The Eastern Enlargement(S)?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 364-408, April.
    6. Gu, Wulong Sawchuk, Gary Whewell, Lori, 2003. "The Effect of Tariff Reductions on Firm Size and Firm Turnover in Canadian Manufacturing," Economic Analysis (EA) Research Paper Series 2003014e, Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies Branch.
    7. Daniel Trefler, 2004. "The Long and Short of the Canada-U. S. Free Trade Agreement," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 870-895, September.
    8. Stephen J. Redding, 2013. "Economic Geography: A Review of the Theoretical and Empirical Literature," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Daniel Bernhofen & Rod Falvey & David Greenaway & Udo Kreickemeier (ed.), Palgrave Handbook of International Trade, chapter 16, pages 497-531, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. Breinlich, Holger & Ottaviano, Gianmarco I.P. & Temple, Jonathan R.W., 2014. "Regional Growth and Regional Decline," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 4, pages 683-779, Elsevier.
    10. repec:esx:essedp:729 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Alla Lileeva, 2008. "Trade liberalization and productivity dynamics: evidence from Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 360-390, May.
    12. 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.
    13. Breinlich, Holger, 2008. "Trade liberalization and industrial restructuring through mergers and acquisitions," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 254-266, December.
    14. Marius Brülhart & Pamina Koenig, 2006. "New economic geography meets Comecon: Regional wages and industry location in central Europe," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 14(2), pages 245-267, April.
    15. Paolo Epifani, 2003. "Trade liberalization, Firm Performances and Labor Market Outcomes in the Developing World, what Can We Learn From Micro-Level Data?," Rivista italiana degli economisti, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 455-486.
    16. Nataraj, Shanthi, 2011. "The impact of trade liberalization on productivity: Evidence from India's formal and informal manufacturing sectors," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 292-301.
    17. Zeng, Dao-Zhi & Zhao, Laixun, 2010. "Globalization, interregional and international inequalities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 352-361, May.
    18. Gianmarco Ottaviano, 2003. "Regional Policy in the Global Economy: Insights from New Economic Geography," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(6-7), pages 665-673.
    19. Iacovone, Leonardo, 2012. "The better you are the stronger it makes you: Evidence on the asymmetric impact of liberalization," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 474-485.
    20. Hisamitsu Saito & Munisamy Gopinath & JunJie Wu, 2011. "Heterogeneous firms, trade liberalization and agglomeration," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(2), pages 541-560, May.
    21. José M. Gaspar, 2018. "A prospective review on New Economic Geography," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 61(2), pages 237-272, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    UK manufacturing; eec; economic geography;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

    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:ehl:lserod:121691. 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: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    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.