Imported Intermediate Inputs and Export Diversification in Low-Income Countries

Paper studies role of imports of intermediate inputs as a determinant of export diversification and of transitions along supply chains towards producing more downstream products

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
1 January 2014
Document Type:
Conference Paper
Theme:
Economic Growth
Authors:
Benguria, F.

Abstract

Economists and policy‐makers have advocated the need of developing countries, and in particular low‐income countries, of moving away from exclusively producing commodities and into manufacturing, and of increasing the value‐added of their products. For instance, Simon Johnson, Jonathan Ostry and Arvind Subramanian (2007) find this to be one of the key constraints on growth in African countries. This paper studies the role of imports of intermediate inputs as a determinant of export diversification and of transitions along supply chains towards producing more downstream products. The discussion is centered on the experience of low income countries and in particular, Sub‐Saharan countries. The analysis studies detailed trade level data spanning the period 1962‐2000, and exploits variation in trade policy across time, countries and industries.

Citation

Benguria, F. Imported Intermediate Inputs and Export Diversification in Low-Income Countries. Presented at Joint RES-SPR Conference on Macroeconomic Challenges FacingLow-Income Countries,Washington, DC, January 30 2014. International Monetary Fund, Washington DC, USA (2014) 29 pp.

Imported Intermediate Inputs and Export Diversification in Low-Income Countries (PDF, 355KB)

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2014
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