Value Chains and the Great Recession: Evidence from Italian and German Firms

Abstract

Global Value Chains (GVCs) have been one of the main transmission mechanisms of 2009 the Great Trade Collapse. Our paper provides a description of the effects of the crisis from a perspective that is both country-comparative (Germany and Italy) and on firm level. Two are the main conclusions: i) intermediate firms were hit by the crisis more than final firms; ii) firms’ position in GVCs and their strategies explain part of the performance gap between Italian and German firms.

Keywords: Global Value Chains, Germany, Italy, Industrial Firms, Firm Organization, World Trade

JEL Classification: D230, L220, F140, F230