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dc.titleProductivity, Exporting and Financial Constraints of Chinese SMEs
dc.contributor.authorVan Biesebroeck, Johannes
dc.contributor.orgunitProductivity, Trade and Innovation Sector
dc.coverageChina
dc.date.available2014-06-16T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2014-04-01T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractWhile many studies explain the correlation between firm-level productivity and export status entirely by better firms self-selecting into exporting, a few studies find evidence of reverse causation. Especially in developing or ransition economies, exporters seem to improve performance after they start selling internationally. We provide evidence that the realization of scale conomies is one possible explanation for such a learning-by-exporting effect. Exporting enables small firms to expand output and exploit all scale economies that the production technology allows. With access to finance problems and weak contract enforcement at home, domestic expansion of SMEs is constrained by the necessity of awarding trade credit to new clients. We show that small firms with a lot of outstanding trade credit expand sales the most following export market entry. This is especially true if they operate in industries with higher scale economies or if they are located in provinces with weaker institutions. The same type of firms also enjoy the largest productivity gains immediately following export market entry.
dc.format.extent37
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0011638
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Productivity-Exporting-and-Financial-Constraints-of-Chinese-SMEs.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectIntegration and Trade
dc.subjectSmall Business
dc.subjectProductivity
dc.subjectInvestment
dc.subject.jelcodeF10 - Trade: General
dc.subject.jelcodeF12 - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies • Fragmentation
dc.subject.jelcodeF14 - Empirical Studies of Trade
dc.subject.keywordsExport market entry;SMEs;Trade credit;Small firms;Export market;New exporters
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
idb.operationRG-K1212
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