Endogenous asymmetries in technology adoption and international trade.

This note explores the interaction between trade integration and asymmetric choices of technology adoption. It seeks to bring micro foundations of Örm heterogeneity into an open-economy model. By so doing, the analysis shows the complementarity between an imperfect competition framework of strategic substitutability and a system of preferences specially well suited for general equilibrium analysis. Preliminary results, still in partial equilibrium, conÖrm standard claims on price reduction and the ability of economies of scale to facilitate technology adoption. More interesting, the number of active Örms is reduced by the increase in market size and subtile interactions arises from demand aggregation.Trade integration; Open-economy; Technological Change; general equilibrium analysis;

Trade Integration in Manufacturing : The Chilean Experience.

Using bilateral trade flow data from 1979 to 1999, we estimate trade integration between Chile and its principal trading partners during the period (European Union, United States and Latin America). Our estimates are based on a gravity speci cation, theoretically grounded on a monopolistic competition framework with increasing returns. Trade barriers are measured following the border e ect methodology by comparing inter-national imports to intra-national ones. Our results are consistent with the agenda of trade integration followed by Chile. Moreover, trade integration turns out to be heterogeneous across industries and over the time. We also fi nd asymmetries between export and import oriented policies. All these features are usually missing when one uses direct measures of trade policies.Trade Reform in Chile; Gravity Equation; Market Access;

Market Access and the Evolution of within Plant Productivity in Chile

This paper studies the impact of trade reforms on the evolution of plant's productivity in Chile (1979-2000). The main contribution of the paper is to construct detailed measures of trade liberalization disentangling the impact of export and import oriented policies. We find evidence of a positive impact of export oriented policies on productivity of traded sectors relative to non traded. On the other hand, the reduction of import barriers might have a positive impact on productivity in export oriented sectors, but it hurts local firms in import competing ones probably due to the existence of increasing returns.firm heterogeneity, trade reforms, productivity gains, plant’s panel data

Trade liberalization and heterogeneous within-firm productivity improvements

This paper develops an intra-industry model of trade with heterogeneous firms to investigate the impact of trade on the evolution of within firm productivity. The main contribution is to incorporate endogenous labor productivity gains. Heterogeneous firms have different incentives to invest in foreign technology which in turns enhances efficiency heterogeneously. Trade liberalization reduces the price of imported capital equipment and increases factor demands. These mechanisms introduce two novel results. First, aggregate productivity increases due to within-firm productivity improvements. Second, tariffs reduction has little impact on the extensive margin of trade in countries already highly open.trade liberalization ; firm heterogeneity ; endogenous productivity gains ; extensive margin of trade

Competition, Innovation and Distance to Frontier

According to a recent literature, the positive effect of competition is supposed to be growing with the proximity to the technological frontier. Using a variety of indicators, the paper tests the effect of competition and regulation on innovative activity measured by patenting. The sample consists of a panel of 15 industries for 17 OECD countries over the period 1979-2003. Results show no evidence of a positive effect of competition growing with the proximity to the frontier. Two main configurations emerge. First, regulation has a positive effect whatever the distance to the frontier and the magnitude of its impact is higher the closer the industry is to the frontier. Second, the effect of regulation is negative far from the frontier and becomes positive (or non significant) when the technology gap decreases. These results contradict the belief in the innovation-boosting effect of product market deregulation such as taken into account in the Lisbon Strategy.Innovation, competition, distance to frontier.

Market access and the evolution of within plant productivity in Chile

This paper studies the impact of trade reforms on the evolution of plant's productivity in Chile (1979-2000). The main contribution of the paper is to construct detailed measures of trade liberalization disentangling the impact of export and import oriented policies. We find evidence of a positive impact of export oriented policies on productivity of traded sectors relative to non traded. On the other hand, the reduction of import barriers might have a positive impact on productivity in export oriented sectors, but it hurts local firms in import competing ones probably due to the existence of increasing returns

Trade liberalization and heterogeneous within-firm productivity improvements

This paper develops an intra-industry model of trade with heterogeneous firms to investigate the impact of trade on the evolution of within firm productivity. The main contribution is to incorporate endogenous labor productivity gains. Heterogeneous firms have different incentives to invest in foreign technology which in turns enhances efficiency heterogeneously. Trade liberalization reduces the price of imported capital equipment and increases factor demands. These mechanisms introduce two novel results. First, aggregate productivity increases due to within-firm productivity improvements. Second, tariffs reduction has little impact on the extensive margin of trade in countries already highly open.Nous construisons un modèle de commerce international avec industries hétérogènes afin d'analyser l'impact de l'ouverture commerciale sur la marge extensive du commerce. Le modèle est une extension du travail de Melitz (2003) et explicite la productivité du travail de fa&ccdelil;on endogène, à partir d'un investissement initial en technologies incorporées dans les biens de capital importés. L'hétérogénéité des industries est due à un impact différencié de ces technologies sur la productivité du travail. D'une part l'ouverture commerciale réduit le coût d'acquisition du capital importé ; d'autre part elle augmente la demande des facteurs, notamment du capital. Ces deux effets ont des conséquences différentes sur la substitution capital / travail de chaque industrie selon la réaction du facteur travail à la technologie incorporée dans le capital. Ce mécanisme induit deux résultats originaux. Tout d'abord, le processus de libéralisation commerciale favorise les industries dans lesquelles la productivité du travail profite le plus d'une augmentation de capital. Ensuite, une réduction des tarifs douaniers a un impact mineur sur la marge extensive du commerce dans des pays qui se trouvent déjà fortement intégrés commercialement

Trade integration in manufacturing: the Chilean experience

Using bilateral trade flow data from 1979 to 1999, we estimate trade integration between Chile and its principal trading partners during the period (European Union, United States and Latin America). Our estimates are based on a gravity specification, theoretically grounded on a monopolistic competition framework with increasing returns. Trade barriers are measured following the border effect methodology by comparing inter-national imports to intra-national ones. Our results are consistent with the agenda of trade integration followed by Chile. Moreover, trade integration turns out to be heterogeneous across industries and over the time. We also find asymmetries between export and import oriented policies as well as between partners. All these features are usually missing when one uses direct measures of trade policies.A l'aide de données internationales de commerce bilatéral pour la période 1979 à 1999, nous estimons l'intégration commerciale entre le Chili et ses principaux partenaires dans cette période (l'Union Européenne, les Etats-Unis et l'Amérique Latine). Nos estimations utilisent des équations de gravité théoriquement fondées dans un cadre de concurrence monopolistique et de rendements croissants. Les barrières au commerce sont ainsi mesurées selon une méthodologie comparant les importations inter-nationales aux importations intra-nationales. Nos résultats s'accordent à l'agenda d'intégration commerciale suivi par le Chili. Cette intégration des marchés présente une hétérogénéité parmi les industries et au cours du temps. De même, certaines asymétries émergent entre partenaires ainsi qu'entre les politiques orientées à l'exportation et les politiques orientées à l'importation. Toutes ces caractéristiques des barrières au commerce sont souvent masquées lorsque l'on utilise des mesures directes de la politique commerciale

Stratégie de Lisbonne et Réformes structurelles en Europe

Accessible en ligne : http://www.ires.fr/images/files/Revues/R60-3.pdfInternational audienc

The ingestion of aflatoxigenic foods and their possible implications with cervical cancer

Cancer has been one of the most deadly diseases in the world; In the female population Cervical Cancer [CaCu], is one of the most frequent and deadly, which could be caused by different infectious, food, socioeconomic and cultural factors, to mention a few. Consuming aflatoxigenic foods such as [corn tortilla, almonds, rice, oats, peanuts, pistachios, among others] contaminated with Aspergillus parasiticus, A. nonius and A. flavus could pose a risk for CaCu. Objective. Determine the pattern of ingestion of aflatoxigenic foods in women diagnosed with [CaCu]. Material and methods. The study was observational cross-sectional. For this investigation, a study was carried out on 120 women; Persons who were previously selected according to a database provided by a health institution. Results. The results of the surveys show the high consumption of foods containing aflatoxins in patients diagnosed with Cervical-uterine Cancer. Conclusions. Women report high intakes of aflatoxigenic foods that may be involved in the development of [CaCu] and most likely with other epidemiological events. Failure to pay attention to patterns of food and poverty allows anticipating non-positive results in human health