Exports dynamics and information spillovers: evidence from Spanish firms

Abstract

This paper investigates the determinants of a firm’s export decision and focuses on the identification of spillovers from neighbouring firms. We use a panel of Spanish firms that started to export to at least one of 95 countries over the 2000-2006 period. Detailed data on the location of firms as well as on the destinations of their exports allows us to analyze the presence of spillovers across firms exporting to different countries. Results show evidence of information spillovers, i.e. new exporters acquire valuable information from other local firms on foreign consumer tastes, product standards or customs administration in a particular market. However the selection of the most productive firms to the most difficult markets decreases the impact of spillovers on firms exporting to these countries.export decision, export market, agglomeration, spillovers