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Concentration in International Markets: Evidence from US Imports

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandra Bonfiglioli

    (Queen Mary University of London and CEPR)

  • Rosario Crinò

    (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dept. of Economics and Finance, CEPR and CESifo)

  • Gino Gancia

    (Queen Mary University of London, CREi and CEPR)

Abstract

We use transaction-level data to study changes in the concentration of US imports. Concentration has fallen in the typical industry, while it is stable by industry and country of origin. The fall in concentration is driven by the extensive margin: the number of exporting firm has grown, and the number of exported products has fallen more for top firms. Instead, average revenue per product of top firms has increased. At the industry level, top firms are converging, but top firms within country are diverging. These facts suggest that intensified competition in international markets coexists with growing concentration among national producers.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandra Bonfiglioli & Rosario Crinò & Gino Gancia, 2019. "Concentration in International Markets: Evidence from US Imports," Working Papers 883, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:qmw:qmwecw:883
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    Cited by:

    1. Alessandra Bonfiglioli & Rosario Crinò & Gino Gancia, 2021. "International Trade with Heterogeneous Firms: Theory and Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 9423, CESifo.
    2. Unger, Florian, 2023. "Financial Development and Export Concentration," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277570, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Sébastien Jean & Ariell Reshef & Gianluca Santoni & Vincent Vicard, 2023. "Dominance on World Markets: the China Conundrum," CEPII Policy Brief 2023-44, CEPII research center.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Superstar Firms; Concentration; US Imports; Firm Heterogeneity; International Trade;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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