SMEs' heterogeneity at the extensive margin and within the intensive margin of trade

Abstract

In this paper, we contribute to the literature on firm-heterogeneity and trade, by looking not only at the firm-level determinants of trade participation (i.e. extensive margin) but also at differences between firms with different levels of trade intensity (i.e. intensive margin). Further, we compare firms that are born ‘local’ and display different scales of international exposure to firms that are born ‘global’, i.e. access international markets soon after their birth. Using a large World Bank dataset of SMEs from 112 countries and qualitative dependent variable models, our analysis uncovers the heterogeneity of SMEs not only at the extensive margin but also within the intensive margin of trade. Born local and born global firms present different characteristics.