Firm Heterogeneity and Aggregate Business Services Exports: Micro Evidence from Belgium, France, Germany and Spain
26 Pages Posted: 12 Feb 2019
Date Written: February 2019
Abstract
This paper uses detailed micro data on services exports at the firm–destination–service level to analyse the role of firm heterogeneity in shaping aggregate services exports in Belgium, France, Germany and Spain from 2003 to 2007. We decompose the level and the growth of aggregate services exports into different trade margins paying special attention to firm heterogeneity within countries. We find that the weak export growth of France is at least partly due to poor performance by small exporters. By contrast, small exporters are the most dynamic contributors to the aggregate exports of Belgium, Germany and Spain. Our results highlight the importance of firm heterogeneity in understanding aggregate export growth.
Keywords: cross‐country micro data study, firm heterogeneity, services exports
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