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This paper connects the quality of product-level bilateral trade flows with the geographic position of the exporter. Theoretically we show that, in addition to commonly used importer characteristics, quality increases (i) in trade-weighted specific transportation cost to destinations other than the importer and (ii) in trade-weighted preference for quality of destinations other than the importer. These two channels extend the familiar Alchian–Allen and Linder theories to the multilateral setting.