Improved Access to Foreign Markets Raises Plant-level Productivity…For Some Plants

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2010
Volume: 125
Issue: 3
Pages: 1051-1099

Authors (2)

Alla Lileeva (not in RePEc) Daniel Trefler (University of Toronto)

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Market size matters for innovation and hence for productivity. Improved access to foreign markets will thus encourage firms to simultaneously export and invest in raising productivity. We examine this insight using the responses of Canadian plants to the elimination of U.S. tariffs. Unique "plant-specific" tariff cuts serve as an instrument for changes in exporting. We find that Canadian plants that were induced by the tariff cuts to start exporting or to export more (a) increased their labor productivity, (b) engaged in more product innovation, and (c) had higher adoption rates for advanced manufacturing technologies. Further, these responses were heterogeneous.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:125:y:2010:i:3:p:1051-1099.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29