Abstract

SILVA, Armando; AFONSO, Óscar  and  AFRICANO, Ana Paula. Do the Most Productive Firms Become Exporters? Application of a test for the case of Portugal. Inv. Econ [online]. 2013, vol.72, n.283, pp.135-161. ISSN 0185-1667.

Using a longitudinal database (1996-2003) at the plant level, this article aims to shed light on the proposition that most productive domestic firms self-select to export markets. Self-selection and learning by exporting are two non-mutually-exclusive theses that attempt to explain the high correlation between firms' international trade involvement and their superior performance relative to domestic firms. In general, we find evidence of a self-selection to exports. However, there is significant heterogeneity of sales destinations, firm import status before exporting, and the specificities of the sectors firms belong to.

Keywords : exports; imports; self-selection.

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