Our aim in this paper is twofold: to find whether FDI causes horizontal or vertical productivity spillovers to domestically-owned Hungarian manufacturing firms, and to see if distance matters in spillovers. For this exercise we use a large panel of Hungarian firms and different panel models. Consistently with previous research, at the country level, we find positive vertical spillovers but no evidence of positive horizontal spillovers. By taking distance into consideration, however, we find positive horizontal spillovers for domestic firms close to foreign-owned firms. By constructing spillover measures weighted by distance, we find similar patterns. Our results underline the importance of labour market rigidity and the local nature of knowledge in the case of horizontal spillovers. Copyright (c) 2007 The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2007 The European Bank for Reconstruction Development .
In this study, we analyse the relationship between distance and f.o.b. export unit values using firm–product–destination data from Hungarian manufacturing. Using 10‐digit Harmonized System data, we show that a doubling of distance is associated with about 7.5 per cent increase in the average product‐level price, from which five percentage points can be attributed to within‐firm–product variation. We run a number of tests to look for heterogeneity in this pattern. Interestingly, the measured effect is very similar for domestic and foreign firms but distance seems to matter somewhat more for EU countries than outside the EU. We do not find much evidence for heterogeneity across product categories based on measures of vertical differentiation. The level of product aggregation matters; the distance coefficient is larger when products are aggregate to the eight or six‐digit level.
We analyse a very rich and unique panel database that provides information on exports at the firm‐product level. Motivated by the recent theory of multi‐product firms, we investigate what determines the survival of products in the export mix to find that, in export dynamics, characteristics of the product as well as that of the firm matter. In particular, firm productivity as well as product scale and tenure are associated with a higher export survival rate. This suggests, in line with theory, that there are firm‐ as well as firm‐product‐specific competencies that are important for shaping firms’ export mix.
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