Do the Most Productive Firms Become Exporters? Application of a test for the case of Portugal

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Armando Silva
Óscar Afonso
Ana Paula Africano

Abstract

Using a longitudinal database (1996-2003) at the plant level, this article aims to shed light on the proposition that most productive domestic firms self-select to export markets. Self-selection and learning by exporting are two non-mutually-exclusive theses that attempt to explain the high correlation between firms’ international trade involvement and their superior performance relative to domestic firms. In general, we find evidence of a self-selection to exports. However, there is significant heterogeneity of sales destinations, firm import status before exporting, and the specificities of the sectors firms belong to.

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How to Cite
Silva, A., Afonso, Óscar, & Africano, A. P. (2013). Do the Most Productive Firms Become Exporters? Application of a test for the case of Portugal. Investigación Económica, 72(283). Retrieved from https://revistas.unam.mx/index.php/rie/article/view/40028

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