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Speeding Up the Product Cycle: The Role of Host Country Reforms

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  • Sheng, Liugang

    (Chinese University of Hong Kong)

  • Yang, Dennis T.

    (University of Virginia)

Abstract

We study the effects of policy reforms in the South on the decisions of intrafirm and arm's length production transfers by Northern firms. We show theoretically that relaxing ownership controls and improving contract enforcement can induce multinational companies to expand product varieties to host developing countries, and that a combination of the two reforms has an amplifying effect on product transfers. Consistent with these implications, we find that ownership liberalization and judicial quality played an important role in raising the extensive margin of processing exports in China for the period of 1997-2007. Our findings imply that institutional reforms in developing countries can effectively speed up the product cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Sheng, Liugang & Yang, Dennis T., 2011. "Speeding Up the Product Cycle: The Role of Host Country Reforms," IZA Discussion Papers 6054, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6054
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    product cycle; ownership structure; contract environment; export variety; processing trade; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • L24 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Contracting Out; Joint Ventures

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