Exporter Dynamics Database
This paper introduces the Exporter Dynamics Database. The database includes exporter characteristics and measures of exporter growth based on firm-level customs information from 38 developing and seven developed countries, primarily for the period...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/10/16834513/exporter-dynamics-database http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12070 |
| Summary: | This paper introduces the Exporter
Dynamics Database. The database includes exporter
characteristics and measures of exporter growth based on
firm-level customs information from 38 developing and seven
developed countries, primarily for the period between 2003
and 2010. The measures are available at different levels of
aggregation, including: a) country-year, b)
country-year-product, and c) country-year-destination.
Several new stylized facts about exporter behavior across
countries emerge from the database. (i) Larger or more
developed economies have more exporters, larger and more
diversified exporters, and lower entry and exit rates than
smaller or developing economies. (ii) In the short run,
expansions along the intensive margin (exporter size)
contribute more to export growth than expansions along the
extensive margin (number of exporters). (iii) Exit rates are
highly correlated with entry rates and both are negatively
correlated with survival rates, average exporter size, and
diversification. (iv) The number of exporters and the entry
and exit rates in a country-product group are partially
driven by country and product-group effects; however, the
average size of exporters in a country-product group is not.
Although the first three facts can be explained by models
incorporating firm heterogeneity and uncertainty, the fourth
fact is more difficult to explain with existing models.
Several findings are confirmed in this database, including
the importance of large multi-product firms. This database
can be a valuable tool to improve the understanding of the
micro-foundations of export growth, by providing new
insights about exporter characteristics and dynamics. |
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