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International Trade, Offshoring and Heterogeneous Firms

Author

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  • Richard Baldwin

    (Graduate Institute, Geneva)

  • Toshihiro Okubo

    (Faculty of Economics, Keio University)

Abstract

Recent trade models determine the equilibrium distribution of firm-level efficiency endogenously and show that freer trade shifts the distribution towards higher average productivity due to entry and exit of firms. These models ignore the possibility that freer trade also alters the firm-size distribution via international firm migration (offshoring); firms must, by assumption, produce in their 'birth nation.' We show that when firms are allowed to switch locations, new productivity effects arise. Freer trade induces the most efficient small-nation firms to move to the large nation. The big country gets an 'extra helping' of the most efficient firms while the small nation's firm-size distribution is truncated on both ends. This reinforces the big-nation productivity gain while reducing or even reversing the small-nation productivity gain. The small nation is nevertheless better off allowing firm migration.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Baldwin & Toshihiro Okubo, 2012. "International Trade, Offshoring and Heterogeneous Firms," Keio/Kyoto Joint Global COE Discussion Paper Series 2012-014, Keio/Kyoto Joint Global COE Program.
    • Handle: RePEc:kei:dpaper:2012-014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Joseph S. Shapiro & Reed Walker, 2018. "Why Is Pollution from US Manufacturing Declining? The Roles of Environmental Regulation, Productivity, and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(12), pages 3814-3854, December.
    3. Kym Anderson & Anna Strutt, 2012. "Agriculture and Food Security in Asia by 2030," Macroeconomics Working Papers 23309, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    4. Monika Mrázová & J Peter Neary, 2019. "Selection Effects with Heterogeneous Firms," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 1294-1334.
    5. Kym Anderson & Anna Strutt, 2014. "Emerging economies, productivity growth and trade with resource-rich economies by 2030," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 58(4), pages 590-606, October.
    6. Ling-Yun He & Liang Wang, 2019. "Import Liberalization of Intermediates and Environment: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Anderson, Kym & Strutt, Anna, 2013. "South America’s Contribution to World Food Markets: GTAP Projections to 2030," Working Papers 145369, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium.
    8. Richard E. Baldwin & Toshihiro Okubo, 2014. "Tax Competition with Heterogeneous Firms," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 309-326, September.
    9. Crespo, Aranzazu; Muñoz-Sepulveda, Jesus A., 2015. "The Role of Physical and Financial Constraints in Export Dynamics," Economics Working Papers MWP2015/17, European University Institute.
    10. Kym Anderson, 2012. "Costing Global Trade Barriers, 1900 to 2050," Departmental Working Papers 2012-08, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    11. Shapiro, Joseph S. & Walker, Reed, 2015. "Why is Pollution from U.S. Manufacturing Declining? The Roles of Trade, Regulation, Productivity, and Preferences," IZA Discussion Papers 8789, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Rikard FORSLID & OKUBO Toshihiro, 2017. "Early Agglomeration or Late Agglomeration? Two phases of development with spatial sorting," Discussion papers 17001, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    13. Martín Tobal, 2017. "Regulatory Entry Barriers, Rent Shifting and the Home Market Effect," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 76-97, February.
    14. Anderson, Kym & Strutt, Anna, 2012. "Global food markets by 2030: What roles for farm TFP growth and trade policies?," 2012 Conference (56th), February 7-10, 2012, Fremantle, Australia 124192, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    15. Chen, Qifei & Shen, Yanzhi, 2021. "The impacts of offshore and onshore outsourcing on China's upgrading in global value chains: Evidence from its manufacturing and service sectors," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 263-280.
    16. Anderson, Kym & Strutt, Anna, 2012. "Asia?s Growth, the Changing Geography of World Trade, and Food Security: Projections to 2030," CEPR Discussion Papers 8950, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Gulzar Ali & Zhaohua Li, 2017. "An Empirical Investigation on the Role of exports, imports and its Determinants in Foreign Trade of Pakistan," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 8(6), pages 39-58.
    18. Anderson, Kym & Strutt, Anna, 2012. "The changing geography of world trade: Projections to 2030," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 303-323.
    19. Lurong Chen & Philippe De Lombaerde, 2013. "China moving up the value chain: What can be learned from the Asian NICs?," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 407-430, December.

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    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business

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