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Abstract.  This paper shows that the issues in the recent discussion over the 'home‐market effects' are more complicated than previously thought. It is shown that, in general, market size matters for industrial structure even when both the homogeneous and the differentiated goods face transport costs. The home‐market effect for production structure can arise, disappear, or even reverse in sign. The analysis shall change a common perception about de‐industrialization of (small) economies and may also have important implications for the empirical research strategies in this area. JEL classification: F12, L1

This paper develops a theory of strategic vertical DFI (direct foreign investment) to suggest an explanation for the empirical puzzle of the missing `pollution-haven' effect. It focuses on a firm's strategic incentive to create multi-market interdependence (in addition to other conventional incentives for DFI) and suggests that the empirical investigations on pollution-haven effects based on environmental compliance costs might be complicated by such strategic behaviour. The theory provides particular implications for the empirical research in this area and some broader implications for the theory of DFI.

In this paper some coherent explanations are suggested for tariff reductions and substitution of non‐tariff barriers for tariffs, taking into account both organized special interests and unorganized consumer interests. The focus is on how the presence of informed consumers affects the political equilibrium choice of trade policy. Three effects are identified that interact with each other as an incumbent government substitutes a NTB for a tariff, and, among other things, it is found that an increase in foreign competition will not cause the government to substitute NTBs for tariffs, but a rise in the government's valuation of political contribution might do so. JEL Classification: F13, D72Ce mémoire propose des explications cohérentes de la réduction des droits de douane et de la substitution de barrières non‐tarifaires (BNT) pour les droits de douane dans un cadre d'analyse qui tient compte des groupes d'intérêt organisés et de la désorganisation des groupes de consommateurs. L'analyse insiste sur l'impact de consommateurs informés sur les choix politiques qui sous‐tendent la politique commerciale. Le mémoire identifie trois effets (effet de bienêtre social, effet de lobbying, effet d'information) qui jouent au moment où un gouvernement substitue une barrière non‐tarifaire à un droit de douane. On montre, entre autres choses, qu'un accroissement de la concurrence étrangère n'engendre pas de substitution de BNT pour un droit de douane, mais qu'un accroissement de la valeur accordée aux contributions électorales peut fort bien avoir cet effet.

AbstractWe extend the framework of Antràs and Helpman (2004) to investigate how multi‐product firms choose different production structures for producing various products and derive four equilibrium patterns of global production. We show that the evolving patterns of inward foreign direct investment and outward processing trade observed in China can be explained by the rapid increase in labour productivity relative to wages. The model predicts that, as labour productivity increases, outsourcing activities will eventually exhibit an inverse U‐shape. We also find that technology spillover increases outsourcing but reduces FDI; the increase in labour productivity, however, could raise both FDI and outsourcing activities.

Dans cet article, nous analysons, grâce à un vaste ensemble de données longitudinales (1997-2005), la façon dont 6 079 entreprises exportatrices canadiennes ont pénétré les marchés étrangers. Nos résultats montrent que de moins en moins d'entreprises commencent par exporter aux États-Unis. Cette tendance suggère donc que le nombre d'entreprises auxquelles le modèle des stades de l'internationalisation ne s'applique pas augmente. Nos résultats indiquent de plus que les gouvernements qui veulent soutenir les entreprises en matière d'exportations devraient cibler les petites et les jeunes entreprises, puisque ce sont celles qui sont les plus susceptibles de faire face à des obstacles et qui ont le plus avantage à exporter sur un plus grand nombre de marchés étrangers.