Trade Liberalization, Intermediate Inputs, and Productivity: Evidence from Indonesia
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Open Access
- 1 December 2007
- journal article
- Published by American Economic Association in American Economic Review
- Vol. 97 (5), 1611-1638
- https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.97.5.1611
Abstract
This paper estimates the productivity gains from reducing tariffs on final goods and from reducing tariffs on intermediate inputs. Lower output tariffs can increase productivity by inducing tougher import competition, whereas cheaper imported inputs can raise productivity via learning, variety, and quality effects. We use Indonesian manufacturing census data from 1991 to 2001, which include plant-level information on imported inputs. The results show that a 10 percentage point fall in input tariffs leads to a productivity gain of 12 percent for firms that import their inputs, at least twice as high as any gains from reducing output tariffs. (JEL F12, F13, L16, O14, O19, O24)Keywords
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