Product Standards and Firms’ Export Decisions

Fernandes, Ana M. ; Ferro, Esteban ; Wilson, John S.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: METHODS;    DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH;    VARIABILITY;    HUMAN CAPITAL;    EXPORT MARKETS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7315
RP-ID  :  WPS7315

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The paper estimates the effect ofproduct standards on firms’ export decisions using two noveldatasets. The first covers all exporting firms in 42developing countries. The second covers pesticide standardsfor 243 agricultural and food products in 63 importingcountries over 2006–12. The analysis shows that productstandards significantly affect foreign market access. Morerestrictive standards in the importing country, relative tothe exporting country, lower firms’ probability of exportingas well as their export values and quantities. The relativerestrictiveness of standards also deters exporting firmsfrom entering new markets and leads to higher exit ratesfrom those markets. Moreover, firm characteristics mediatethe effect of product standards on firms’ export decisions.Smaller exporters are more negatively affected in theirmarket entry and exit decisions by the relative stringencyof standards than larger exporters. Positive network effectsof exporters from the same country may help reduce theburden of importing countries’ standards on firms’ decisionsto enter new markets.