RT Journal Article
T1 Do imports of intermediate inputs generate higher productivity? Evidence from Ecuadorian manufacturing firms
A1 Camino Mogro, Segundo
A1 Carrillo Maldonado, Paul
AB This paper examines the causal effect of importing on firm productivity. We use an augmented Cobb–Douglas production function in which the static and dynamic effects of importing and exporting are estimated for formal manufacturing firms in Ecuador. We use a rich administrative data set that covers the period 2007–2018 and estimate total factor productivity (TFP) at the firm level. Our results show that both static and dynamic effects are important sources of gains from importing. We find that static and dynamic gains in productivity from importing intermediates are higher in more innovative industries than in less innovative industries, which implies an industrial heterogeneity effect. We also find that the elasticity of substitution between imported and domestic intermediates in all the industries are substitute inputs. Finally, we provide robust evidence in favour of self-selection on the entry and exit side sides of the market. Our estimation results provide support to the learning-by-importing hypothesis.
PB Wiley
SN 0378-5920
YR 2022
FD 2022-09-30
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/72592
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/72592
LA eng
NO CRUE-CSIC (Acuerdos Transformativos 2022)
NO Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (MINECO)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 6 abr 2025