IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/mol/ecsdps/esdp12064.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Exports vs. foreign direct investment: evidence from cross-country industry data

Author

Listed:
  • Pietrovito, Filomena
  • Pozzolo, Alberto Franco
  • Salvatici, Luca

Abstract

The recent process of globalization has been characterized by a rapid increase of foreign direct investments (FDIs), outpacing the simultaneous expansion of arms-length trade (exporting). Trade theory traces back different patterns of internationalization to differences in productivity levels between firms. As in Helpman et al. (2004), we argue that differences in productivity are affected by heterogeneity in firm size. However, we explicitly consider the number of large firms in a sector rather than the size dispersion. Moreover, previous literature performs single country analysis, whereas we extend our analysis to several developed as well as developing countries. By using comprehensive cross-section data on bilateral exports and FDIs (proxied by mergers and acquisitions) over the period 1994-2004, we explain differences across 57 manufacturing sectors in the relative incidence of trade and FDIs. Controlling for other factors affecting the patterns of internationalization and performing several sample splits and robustness tests, our results confirm that sectors with a higher number of large firms are associated with stronger incidence of FDIs relative to trade., Il recente processo di globalizzazione è stato caratterizzato dal'incremento degli investimenti diretti esteri (IDE) che ha superato di gran lunga la rapida e simultanea espansione delle esportazioni. La teoria sul commercio internazionale spiega i patterns di internazionalizzazione attraverso le differenze nei livelli di produttivita' tra le imprese. Compatibilmente con i risultati di Helpman et al. (2004), questo lavoro argomenta che le differenze di produttivita' tra le imprese sono determinate dall'eterogeneia' tra le imprese in termini di dimensione. Tuttavia, questo lavoro considera esplicitamente il numero di imprese di grandi dimensioni presenti in ciascun settore, anziché la dispersione della dimensione. Inoltre, la letteratura esistente compie analisi specifiche per singoli paesi, mentre il nostro lavoro estende l'analisi a diversi paesi, sia sviluppati che in via di sviluppo. Utilizzando un dataset cross-section sulle esportazioni e gli IDE (misurati attraverso il valore delle fusioni e acquisizioni) bilaterali, per il periodo 1994-2004, il lavoro spiega le differenze nell'incidenza del commercio sugli IDE, tra 57 settori manifatturieri. Controllando per diversi fattori che incidono sui patterns di internazionalizzazione e riportando i risultati di diversi test di robustezza, il lavoro conferma che i settori caratterizzati da una maggiore presenza di imprese di grandi dimensioni presentano una più elevata incidenza degli IDE rispetto alle esportazioni.

Suggested Citation

  • Pietrovito, Filomena & Pozzolo, Alberto Franco & Salvatici, Luca, 2012. "Exports vs. foreign direct investment: evidence from cross-country industry data," Economics & Statistics Discussion Papers esdp12064, University of Molise, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mol:ecsdps:esdp12064
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://web.unimol.it/progetti/repec/mol/ecsdps/ESDP12064.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Chaney, 2014. "The Network Structure of International Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(11), pages 3600-3634, November.
    2. Elhanan Helpman & Marc J. Melitz & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2004. "Export Versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 300-316, March.
    3. Simeon Djankov & Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 2002. "The Regulation of Entry," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 1-37.
    4. Eric Bartelsman & Stefano Scarpetta & Fabiano Schivardi, 2005. "Comparative analysis of firm demographics and survival: evidence from micro-level sources in OECD countries," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 14(3), pages 365-391, June.
    5. Drogue, Sophie & Bartova, Lubica, 2007. "A Critical Survey of Databases on Tariffs and Trade Available for the Analysis of EU Agricultural Agreements," Working Papers 7287, TRADEAG - Agricultural Trade Agreements.
    6. John H. Dunning, 1977. "Trade, Location of Economic Activity and the MNE: A Search for an Eclectic Approach," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Bertil Ohlin & Per-Ove Hesselborn & Per Magnus Wijkman (ed.), The International Allocation of Economic Activity, chapter 12, pages 395-418, Palgrave Macmillan.
    7. Anne-Célia Disdier & Keith Head, 2008. "The Puzzling Persistence of the Distance Effect on Bilateral Trade," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(1), pages 37-48, February.
    8. Brainard, S Lael, 1997. "An Empirical Assessment of the Proximity-Concentration Trade-off between Multinational Sales and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(4), pages 520-544, September.
    9. David L. Carr & James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 2021. "Estimating The Knowledge-Capital Model of the Multinational Enterprise," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: BROADENING TRADE THEORY Incorporating Market Realities into Traditional Models, chapter 5, pages 95-110, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    10. Ben S. Bernanke & Kenneth Rogoff, 2002. "NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2001, Volume 16," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number bern02-1.
    11. Elhanan Helpman & Marc Melitz & Yona Rubinstein, 2008. "Estimating Trade Flows: Trading Partners and Trading Volumes," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(2), pages 441-487.
    12. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 2008. "FDI as an outcome of the market for corporate control: Theory and evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 2-20, January.
    13. David Greenaway & Richard Kneller, 2007. "Firm heterogeneity, exporting and foreign direct investment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(517), pages 134-161, February.
    14. Chengang Wang & Yingqi Wei & Xiaming Liu, 2010. "Determinants of Bilateral Trade Flows in OECD Countries: Evidence from Gravity Panel Data Models," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(7), pages 894-915, July.
    15. Arjen H L Slangen & Sjoerd Beugelsdijk, 2010. "The impact of institutional hazards on foreign multinational activity: A contingency perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(6), pages 980-995, August.
    16. Nils Herger & Christos Kotsogiannis & Steve McCorriston, 2008. "Cross-border acquisitions in the global food sector," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 35(4), pages 563-587, December.
    17. Anders Isaksson, 2009. "The UNIDO World Productivity Database: An Overview," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 18, pages 38-50, Spring.
    18. Ricardo J. Caballero & Eduardo M. R. A. Engel, 1999. "Explaining Investment Dynamics in U.S. Manufacturing: A Generalized (S,s) Approach," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(4), pages 783-826, July.
    19. S. Lael Brainard, 1993. "A Simple Theory of Multinational Corporations and Trade with a Trade-Off Between Proximity and Concentration," NBER Working Papers 4269, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Bruce Blonigen, 2005. "A Review of the Empirical Literature on FDI Determinants," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 33(4), pages 383-403, December.
    21. Tomiura, Eiichi, 2007. "Foreign outsourcing, exporting, and FDI: A productivity comparison at the firm level," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 113-127, May.
    22. Keld Laursen, 1998. "Revealed Comparative Advantage and the Alternatives as Measures of International Specialisation," DRUID Working Papers 98-30, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    23. Daniel K. N. Johnson, 2002. "The OECD Technology Concordance (OTC): Patents by Industry of Manufacture and Sector of Use," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2002/5, OECD Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Filomena Pietrovito & Alberto Franco Pozzolo & Luca Salvatici, 2016. "Internationalization choices: an ordered probit analysis at industry level," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 561-594, March.
    2. María C. Latorre, 2009. "The economic analysis of multinationals and foreign direct investment: a review," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 191(4), pages 97-126, December.
    3. Raphael Chiappini & François Viaud, 2021. "Macroeconomic, institutional, and sectoral determinants of outward foreign direct investment: Evidence from Japan," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 404-433, August.
    4. Andre Jungmittag, 2019. "Service trade restrictiveness and internationalisation of retail trade," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 293-333, April.
    5. Mariam Camarero & Laura Montolio & Cecilio Tamarit, 2020. "Determinants of FDI for Spanish regions: evidence using stock data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(6), pages 2779-2820, December.
    6. Mankan M. Koné & Carl Gaigné & Lota Tamini, 2017. "Supply Uncertainty and Foreign Direct Investments in Agri-food Industry," CIRANO Working Papers 2017s-22, CIRANO.
    7. Fariñas, José C. & Martín-Marcos, Ana & Velázquez, Francisco J., 2019. "Estimating the Scope Elasticity of Multinational Firms: An Empirical Assessment," MPRA Paper 94990, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Camarero, Mariam & Montolio, Laura & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2019. "What drives German foreign direct investment? New evidence using Bayesian statistical techniques," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 326-345.
    9. Chen, Maggie Xiaoyang & Moore, Michael O., 2010. "Location decision of heterogeneous multinational firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 188-199, March.
    10. Kox, Henk L.M., 2022. "A micro-macro model of foreign direct investment: knowledge-based gravity forces, self-selection and third-country effects," MPRA Paper 115542, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Stiebale, Joel, 2016. "Cross-border M&As and innovative activity of acquiring and target firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1-15.
    12. Kox, Henk L.M., 2022. "Explaining foreign direct investment patterns: a testable micro-macro gravity model for FDI," MPRA Paper 115273, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Conconi, Paola & Sapir, André & Zanardi, Maurizio, 2016. "The internationalization process of firms: From exports to FDI," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 16-30.
    14. Fulvio Castellacci, 2014. "Service innovation and the proximity-concentration trade-off model of trade and FDI," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 92-108, January.
    15. Alfonso Irarrazabal & Andreas Moxnes & Luca David Opromolla, 2013. "The Margins of Multinational Production and the Role of Intrafirm Trade," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 121(1), pages 74-126.
    16. Maria Borga & Perla Ibarlucea Flores & Monika Sztajerowska, 2020. "Drivers of divestment decisions of multinational enterprises - A cross-country firm-level perspective," OECD Working Papers on International Investment 2019/03, OECD Publishing.
    17. Laura Alfaro & Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, 2018. "Transportation cost and the geography of foreign investment," Chapters, in: Bruce A. Blonigen & Wesley W. Wilson (ed.), Handbook of International Trade and Transportation, chapter 12, pages 369-406, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Luljeta Hajderllari & Kostas Karantininis & Lartey G. Lawson, 2012. "FDI as an Export-Platform: A Gravity Model for the Danish Agri-Food Industry," IFRO Working Paper 2012/7, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    19. Petri, Peter A., 2012. "The determinants of bilateral FDI: Is Asia different?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 201-209.
    20. Bas Straathof & Gert Jan Linders & Arjan Lejour & Jan Möhlmann, 2008. "The internal market and the Dutch economy: implications for trade and economic growth," CPB Document 168, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    exports; foreign direct investment; mergers and acquisitions; large firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:mol:ecsdps:esdp12064. 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: Claudio Lupi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dsmolit.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.