The Impact of Import Competition from China on Firm-level Productivity Growth in the EU
WIFO Working Papers, 2021, (623), 61 Seiten
Revised version (March 2021)
Online seit: 12.02.2021 14:00
We revisit the impact of rising imports from China on within-firm labour productivity growth in the EU. We analyse the period 2003-2016 which covers the recent increase in technology-intensive imports from China. We uncover a changing relationship over time. Higher fractions of Chinese imports in aggregate imports exert an adverse effect on productivity growth in in later periods, especially after the financial crisis 2008-09. This mirrors the changing nature of trade with China, reversing the growth-enhancing effect of import-competition. This effect is more pronounced for domestic firms, while multinationals are able to benefit from Chinese imports. Both effects become stronger at higher productivity-growth intensities. The growth-dampening effects particularly strong for firms in low-tech industries and in Southern Europe.
JEL-Codes:F14, L20, L60, J24
Keywords:Import Competition, Multinational Firms, Productivity, Manufacturing, EU, China
Forschungsbereich:Industrie-, Innovations- und internationale Ökonomie
Sprache:Englisch