Trade in parts and components across Europe

0460112 - NHU-C 2017 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Frensch, R. - Hanousek, Jan - Kočenda, E.
Trade in parts and components across Europe.
Finance a úvěr-Czech Journal of Economics and Finance. Roč. 66, č. 3 (2016), s. 236-262. ISSN 0015-1920. E-ISSN 0015-1920
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-15927S
Institutional support: PRVOUK-P23
Keywords : international trade * production networks * gravity model
Subject RIV: AH - Economics
Impact factor: 0.604, year: 2016
http://journal.fsv.cuni.cz/mag/article/show/id/1356

Based on the factor-proportion gravity framework, we build a model that identifies the driving forces for trade in parts and components. We test our model empirically by using a detailed and large European data set. We show that trade in parts and components is driven by relative supply-side country differences, proxied by wages and capital labor ratios. The pattern is compatible with models of incomplete specialization and trade. We take our results as evidence for the existence of international East-West production networks in Europe, driven by tradeoffs between wages, capital labor ratios and coordination costs. Our results also reveal that (i) in response to stronger relative wage differences, trade in parts and components across Europe is predominantly conducted along the extensive margin but (ii) the potential to intensify the trade and international production network in new EU members has not been exhausted yet.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0260239