Using transaction-level data for the Chinese manufacturing sector, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the causal effect that firms’ imports have on quality upgrading. We implement an empirical strategy that delivers quality estimates at the firm-product-destination level. Exploiting this measure and accounting for the endogeneity of imported inputs, this paper shows that sourcing from abroad boosts export quality. Moreover, the analysis indicates that quality improvements are particularly strong when firms purchase inputs from high-income countries. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that quality upgrading is an important mechanism through which imports favor firms’ export performance.

Firms' imports and quality upgrading: evidence from Chinese firms / Zhu, Min; Tomasi, Chiara. - In: WORLD ECONOMY. - ISSN 0378-5920. - 2020:43 (5)(2020), p. 1371-1397. [10.1111/twec.12934]

Firms' imports and quality upgrading: evidence from Chinese firms

Tomasi, Chiara
2020-01-01

Abstract

Using transaction-level data for the Chinese manufacturing sector, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the causal effect that firms’ imports have on quality upgrading. We implement an empirical strategy that delivers quality estimates at the firm-product-destination level. Exploiting this measure and accounting for the endogeneity of imported inputs, this paper shows that sourcing from abroad boosts export quality. Moreover, the analysis indicates that quality improvements are particularly strong when firms purchase inputs from high-income countries. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that quality upgrading is an important mechanism through which imports favor firms’ export performance.
2020
43 (5)
Zhu, Min; Tomasi, Chiara
Firms' imports and quality upgrading: evidence from Chinese firms / Zhu, Min; Tomasi, Chiara. - In: WORLD ECONOMY. - ISSN 0378-5920. - 2020:43 (5)(2020), p. 1371-1397. [10.1111/twec.12934]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
TomasiZhu_2020WE.pdf

Solo gestori archivio

Tipologia: Post-print referato (Refereed author’s manuscript)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 918.01 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
918.01 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11572/251717
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact