What is beneficial for first-time SME-exporters from a transition economy: A diversified or a focused export-strategy?

We examine whether more focused or more diversified exporting is beneficial for first-time SME-exporters from a small European transition economy (TE). We test the impact of market (geographic) diversification, product diversification and export intensity (export volume) on firm performance. In addition, we test whether a complex export strategy – of simultaneous product- and market-diversification – is beneficial for TE SMEs. We use panel data of all reported, first-time Slovenian exporters in the period 1995–2010. We find that a diversified export strategy in terms of product, market and intensity is positively related to performance although with decreasing returns. Furthermore, a complex diversification strategy pays off for first time TE SME-exporters, but in a decreasing fashion.     

What makes a successful exporter? An introduction

The papers in this issue continue with the tradition of adding puzzles pieces to the overall picture of the impact and importance of firm international activities. In \"What makes a successful exporter?\", we have collected twelve papers, the majority of which were presented at the 13th annual ISGEP workshop in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 20–21 September 2018. The common thread linking these papers is that they explore both what it means to be an exporter and the ramifications of exporting on firms and the economy as a whole. On the one hand, this special issue addresses the role of foreign sourcing, export experience in the board of directors and credit supply shocks on the propensity to export, as well as the factors that affect firms' overall readiness to export. On the other hand, it investigates various measures of performance in the export markets, such as export duration, markups, quality upgrading and product mix.     

基于地理集中度的中国水产品出口不稳定性研究

以地理集中化指标、出口多样化指数等为研究变量,实证分析中国水产品出口地理结构与其出口不稳定性的相互关系,结果显示:中国水产品五大出口市场中,亚洲的日本、韩国和香港市场的波动趋势相近,决定了水产品出口不稳定性的大部分,不断扩大的美国、欧盟市场可以一定程度地平抑亚洲市场的冲击;但美国、欧盟市场自身的不稳定性及波动的趋势相关性使得其平抑作用十分有限;通过调整出口地理结构,开拓新的市场可以降低总体出口的不稳定性。     

Export diversification,mean-reversion of exports,and stability of export–growth causality

ABSTRACT

This study proposes a five-step statistical procedure to examine a linkage among export diversification, mean-reversion of exports, and stability of the export–growth causality. This linkage was assessed for France, Norway, and Switzerland between 1980Q1 and 2016Q4. The findings indicated that the mean-reversion tendency of the export sectors in France and Switzerland was stronger than in Norway, which highlighted the important role of export activities for economic growth in France and Switzerland. Also, the causal relationship between exports and economic growth in Norway was found to be more unstable than in France, but more stable than in Switzerland.     

On tariff changes and firm-production evolution: insights from Turkish manufacturing

We contribute to the yet limited evidence on the relationship between trade liberalisation and a firm's product mix and diversification strategies for an emerging economy, Turkey. Lower import barriers foster firms’ specialisation in their core products. A drop in import tariffs, indeed, enhances a firm's propensity to drop fringe varieties and favours production growth of core products. More importantly, it favours firms’ specialisation in more sophisticated goods. Export tariff cuts, instead, by relaxing competitive pressure at home and lowering the cost to export, only reduce the firms’ incentive to innovate.     

The Impact of Export Promotion Programs on Firms’ Export Competencies and Performance in a Transition Economy: The Case of Russian Manufacturers

Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of export promotion programs (EPPs) in Russian manufacturers. It examines a multi-dimensional set of subjective and objective indicators including the level of awareness, use, the perception of usefulness, as well as different intermediate export marketing results, and final performance indicators. The results show that most EPPs are successful in attaining their goals as to improving firms’ export marketing competencies. Though, at the same time, they point to clear problems, regarding program awareness, availability, and accessibility. The paper concludes with a discussion about managerial and public policy implications.     

Endogenous exchange rate pass-through when nominal prices are set in advance

This paper develops a model of endogenous exchange rate pass-through within an open economy macroeconomic framework, where both pass-through and the exchange rate are simultaneously determined, and interact with one another. Pass-through is endogenous because firms choose the currency in which they set their export prices. There is a unique equilibrium rate of pass-through under the condition that exchange rate volatility rises as the degree of pass-through falls. We show that the relationship between exchange rate volatility and economic structure may be substantially affected by the presence of endogenous pass-through. Our key results show that pass-through is related to the relative stability of monetary policy. Countries with relatively low volatility of money growth will have relatively low rates of exchange rate pass-through, while countries with relatively high volatility of money growth will have relatively high pass-through rates.     

中国出口技术复杂度真的赶上发达国家了吗

使用HS(1992)六位数分类商品贸易数据,从"出口重叠指数"、出口商品"相对平均单位价值"、不同技术层面上的出口商品"相对平均单位价值"三个方面,以部分发达国家为比较对象,实证考察了中国出口技术复杂度变动趋势。结果发现,与现有大多研究结论不同:中国出口技术复杂度与发达国家相比,尚存一定差距,特别是在高技术密集型出口产品领域,差距较大,而目前对发达国家的追赶上,主要表现在中等技术密集型产品领域。中国出口品的"专业化"既没有与发达国家"趋同",其技术复杂度也未赶上发达国家,中国出口增长不会导致发达国家所谓"工资收入不平等"和"贸易条件恶化";立足现实比较优势,顺应国际分工发展大势,应是未来一段时间内中国进一步提升出口技术复杂度的出发点。     

中国的出口潜力:总量测算、地区分布与前景展望——基于扩展引力模型的实证研究

通过考察2000-2008年间中国对120个贸易伙伴国(地区)的商品出口数据,基于扩展引力模型的面板数据计量方法,本文揭示了我国出口潜力的地区分布与历史演变特征,并测算了后危机时期中国的出口潜力。研究发现,中国的对外贸易自2007年开始转入"出口不足"状态,特别是对亚洲近邻的市场拓展相对滞后。展望后危机时期,在全球经济保持稳步回升的条件下,中国在2010-2015年间潜在的出口增速可达31.1%。综合出口潜力的规模指标与成长性指标,我们认为,后危机时期中国出口市场结构调整的总体导向应是:在保持欧美传统市场份额基本稳定的前提下,将市场重心逐渐转向出口潜力较大的亚洲和拉美新兴经济体,进一步密切中非经贸合作关系,使其成为未来出口市场多元化的潜在对象。     

不完全信息条件下基于产品质量的出口政策选择

在产品质量信息不完全性普遍存在的情况下,企业产品质量选择与国家产品质量声誉相互影响。提高国家产品质量声誉可以提高企业期望收益和国家福利,但由于产品质量外部性的存在以及国家产品质量声誉的"公共产品"性质,企业的自主产品质量选择行为并不会必然导致较高的国家产品质量声誉,从而存在国家干预的必要性。在一般情况下,实施"税收—补贴"组合政策是较优的政策选择。     

中日韩三国农产品贸易竞争关系的研究

建立中日韩自由贸易区是区域经济一体化发展的必然要求,而三国间的农产品贸易现状与发展趋势,以及农产品贸易的特殊性对自由贸易区的建立具有十分重要的影响。本文通过产品相似性指数和市场相似性指数对中日韩三国农产品的贸易竞争关系进行了实证分析。研究结果表明,中日韩三国间的农产品相似性指数高于市场相似性指数,农产品贸易关系以竞争性为主,并依据本文研究得出的主要结论,提出了扩大我国农产品出口的相关建议。     

Aid for trade and export diversification in recipient‐countries

The Aid‐for‐Trade (AfT) Initiative was launched by the Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with a view to helping developing countries and the least‐developed countries (LDCs) expand their trade. The current paper contributes to the literature on AfT effectiveness by examining how AfT affects recipient‐countries' export product diversification. The analysis has been carried out on a sample of 104 AfT recipient‐countries over the period 2002–2015 and uses the two‐step system generalised methods of moments (GMM) approach. Results show that AfT flows are conducive to export product diversification in recipient‐countries. In addition, the analysis has shown a positive impact of the cumulative AfT flows on the export product diversification path of these countries. These results apply as well to the subsamples of LDCs and other developing countries. One policy implication of these results is that a scale‐up of AfT would help recipient‐countries to diversify their export products baskets and hence facilitate their greater integration into the global trading system.     

技术创新、生产效率和出口多样化与中国制造业出口竞争力

本文将出口质量指数纳入制造业出口竞争力的评价指标体系,基于中国海关数据库,利用熵权法估算了中国制造业细分行业的出口竞争力,并利用中国2000~2013年制造业行业面板数据研究了技术创新对中国制造业出口竞争力的影响,着重分析了其影响渠道。研究发现,在控制内生性和其他因素的影响后,技术创新对中国制造业出口竞争力有显著正向影响,进一步研究发现,技术创新通过行业生产效率和出口多样化影响出口竞争力提升。区分技术创新投入和产出后发现,行业技术创新产出对出口竞争力的影响依然显著。另外,动态模型的估计是最有效率的。区分不同类型的行业后发现,重型制造业、同质性制造业以及中等技术类型行业的技术创新显著促进行业出口竞争力提升。