The Effects of Industrial Park Development on Manufacturing Firms’Performance in Ethiopia

This study examines the effects of industrial parks on export earnings,employment creation,and FDI attraction in Ethiopia.Despite varying degrees of successes and failures,several countries have utilized industrial park and other forms of special economic zones as a policy instrument for fostering economic transformation.China is at the forefront of using special economic zones as a policy tool for economic transformation.Ethiopia is one of the African countries that has adopted industrial park development as a policy tool to enhance its economic transformation.However,the issue is not well researched and this study aims to contribute to fill the research gap.The analysis of the hypotheses test reveals that industrial parks in Ethiopia have statistically significant effects on export earnings,employment creation,and FDI attraction with significant levels of p≤0.001.Low labor productivity,domestic raw material supply constraints,weak forward and backward linkage,transport cost and logistic constraints,and government institutions’capacity constraints are identified as the major constraints that affect the effectiveness of industrial parks and manufacturing firms.On the other hand,the availability of a trainable labor force,raw material potential,preferential policies and incentives,the economic growth of the country,and the labor wage rise in China and other emerging countries are identified as the main five potentials and opportunities for sustained and dynamic industrial parks development.Based on the findings,three policy implications are suggested.First,formulating and implementing manufacturing labor force development and utilization policies and strategies are vital.Second,the forward-backward linkage along the value chain needs to be enhanced through proper policies.Finally,institutional capacity building through learning by doing and public-private partnership has to be strengthened.

Innovation and Firm Co-ownership Network in China’s Electric Vehicle Industry

Firms are embedded in complex networks,where diverse ideas combine and generate new ideas.Shareholders of firms are of-ten seen as critical external resources that have significant influence on firm innovation.The current literature tends to focus on the rela-tionship between firms and their shareholders,while paying less attention to the connections between firms with the same shareholders.This article identifies two types of network spillover effects,intra-city network effect and inter-city network effect,by visualizing the co-ownership networks in China’s electric vehicle(EV)industry.We find that firms with the same shareholders,which are defined as co-owned EV firms,are more innovative than non-co-owned ones.Furthermore,there are two dominant types of firm co-ownership ties formed by corporate and financial institution shareholders.While corporate shareholders help exploiting local tacit knowledge,financial institutions are more active in bridging inter-city connections.The conclusion is confirmed at both firm and city levels.This paper theor-izes the firm co-ownership network as a new form of institutional proximity and tested the result empirically.For policy consideration,we have emphasized the importance of building formal or informal inter-firm network,and the government should further enhance the knowledge flow channel by institutional construction.

Does Green Food Certification promote agri-food export quality?Evidence from China

The construction of a food certification system plays a vital role in upgrading export quality, which previous studies have largely overlooked. We match China's industry-level data of Green Food Certification with its HS6-digit export data of agri-food products to quantify the impact of Green Food Certification on export quality. We identify the significant and positive effect of Green Food Certification on export quality. The 2SLS estimation based on instrumental variables and a range of robustness checks confirm the validity and robustness of the benchmark conclusions. Further analysis discloses that Green Food Certification improves export quality by raising agricultural production efficiency and brand premiums. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of Green Food Certification varies across regions, notably improving the quality of agri-food products exported to developed regions and regions with high levels of import supervision. Furthermore, among various product types, Green Food Certification significantly improves the export quality of primary products and products vulnerable to non-tariff measures. The above findings could guide the future development of agri-food quality certification systems, potentially leading to a transformation and promotion of the agri-food trade.

Impact of BRICS Trade Facilitation on China's Exports Using Cross-Border E-Commerce

With the rapid growth of the global digital economy, cross-border e-commerce, as an emerging form of trade, has gradually become a powerful engine to promote the development of global trade. BRICS is an important force in the global economy, and the progress of the BRICS countries' trade facilitation level has an important impact on the global trade environment. This paper conducts an in-depth study of the dynamic changes in BRICS trade facilitation from 2013 to 2022, and uses an extended gravity model to analyze the specific impact of this change on China's exports using cross-border e-commerce. The results show that although the BRICS countries have made some progress in trade facilitation, the overall level still needs to be improved, and there are obvious differences among member countries. However, the improvement of trade facilitation among BRICS countries has undoubtedly brought significant positive effects to China's exports using cross-border e-commerce.

Changes in calcium accumulation and utilization efficiency and their impact on recycling,immobilization,and export across the oil palm cycle

Effective calcium(Ca)management is crucial for optimizing oil palm cultivation and enhancing crop yield.This study aimed to gain insights into the dynamics of Ca concentration,accumulation,exportation,immobilization,and recycling in various oil palm organs relative to plant age.The experiment was conducted at the Agropalma enterprise site in the northeastern region of Para State,Brazil,evaluating seven plant age treatments:2,3,4,5,6,7,and 8 years old.Employing a completely randomized design with four replications.The results demonstrated an age-related increase in Ca concentration in petioles,rachis,arrows,male inflorescences,peduncles,and fruits.Furthermore,Ca accumulation exhibited an upward trend in all organs with progressing plant age.Notably,the study revealed an enhanced Ca use efficiency across all plant organs in correlation with the age of oil palm cultivation.These findings underscore the dynamic nutritional demands of oil palm,influencing Ca immobilization,cycling,and export throughout its developmental stages.

The “productivity paradox” of Chinese export firms: Review and assessment

This paper represents an attempt to test the relationship between the exports and productivity of Chinese firms using the data set of nearly 3 million industrial firms in 20 industrial sectors over the period 1998-2007. Our test finds that non-export firms were more productive than export firms, and exports were negatively related to productivity-namely that the lower the productivity of a firm, the higher its exports. This finding is in contradiction with the hypothesis of new-new trade theory. The contradiction is referred to as the "productivity paradox" in this paper. Further tests find that firm size is a key factor affecting firm exports, but the impact of exports on firm productivity is insignif icant. This paper reckons that the "productivity paradox" of Chinese export firms may be attributed to the disproportionate share of processing trade in export trade.

Building the ARIMA Model for Forecasting the Production of Vietnam’s Coffee Export

Coffee is a significant industry, accounting for 3% of Vietnam’s GDP, with annual export turnover consistently exceeding USD 3 billion. Despite global economic challenges affecting purchasing power at various times, Vietnam’s coffee exports in December 2023 continued to surge, reaching the highest level in the past 9 months at 190,000 tons, a 59.3% increase compared to November 2023, but still a slight 3.5% decrease from the same period last year. The export turnover reached USD 538 million, a 51% increase from November 2023 and a 26.4% increase from the same period last year. Therefore, forecasting the coffee export volume holds significant importance for coffee producers nationwide. This research employs the Box-Jenkins method to construct an ARIMA model for forecasting Vietnam’s coffee export volume based on annual data published by the General Statistics Office. Results indicate that among the models considered, the ARIMA(1, 1, 2) model is the most suitable. The study also provides short-term forecasts for Vietnam’s coffee export volume. However, the current model is limited to forecasting and is not yet optimized, as the assumed linearity in the model is a simplification.

Analysis of the Impact of Technical Trade Barriers on the Export of Toys-Based on Analysis of Zhejiang,China

Technical barriers to trade,as a non-tariff barrier,have an increasing impact on the international market.As a major province in toy exports,Zhejiang Province’s toy export trade is therefore greatly hindered.This article aims to explore the impact of technical trade barriers on toy exports in Zhejiang Province and analyze countermeasures.Through literature review and some empirical analysis,it is found that technical trade barriers have greatly promoted the development of Zhejiang’s toy industry;however,they have also subjected it to impacts and pressures such as cost and technology.In response to the impact of technical trade barriers on toy exports,this article proposes corresponding countermeasures to avoid such barriers:firstly,establish a quality management system that complies with export product regulations to ensure that the products produced can meet international requirements and standards;secondly,reduce dependence on overseas markets;then enhance one’s own technology,and strengthen product innovation,in order to enhance the international competitiveness of the product and oneself;in addition,we should also explore diversified markets and expand the sales channels and coverage of our products.

Innovation Capability and Export Performance of Turkish Export Firms

In today＇s competitive environment the key element is the differentiation of business which will lead to success. Especially in international markets where there＇s much more intense competition, it is more important for businesses to enter with innovations that make a difference to their consumers. Innovation is also important for competitive export-oriented production in globalization. In global competition, innovation is the key factor for sustainable success. Increases in the efficiency, profitability of firms make it possible to enter new markets and extend present markets by obtaining advantage of competition. In order to determine accurate strategies, the connection between innovation and exports must be understood better. The aim of this study is to determine the innovation capability and export performance of Turkish export firms. Another aim is to examine the relationship between firm characteristics and innovation capability. Innovation capability of export firms is measured by INNOVSCALE which was developed by Vicente, Abrantes, and Teixeira （2015）. Export performance is measured by APEV scale which was developed by Lages, Lages, and Lages （2005）. The study uses data collected from 83 firms located in Kayseri. Results obtained by using SPSS indicate that there is a positive relationship between innovation capability and export performance. The results of the ANOVA analysis, innovation capability differ in terms of firm size and export earnings. Innovation capability does not differ in terms of sector, operating years, share of export earnings in the whole revenues, exporting periods, or internationalization levels.

Mysterious Exporter for Brassinosteroid First Identified

It is impossible for plants to grow and reproduce without being regulated by phytohormones.One of the phytohormones is the brassinosteroid(BR)hormones,also named as the sixth phytohormone.

China:In the fourth quarter of 2023,exports of yarn and fabric to ASEAN ceased declining and rebounded

On January 8th,the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles released data showing that in the fourth quarter,China’s textile and clothing exports gradually stabilised.The proportion of intermediate exports in textile and clothing exports continued to rise,providing a new impetus for the substantial expansion of exports to traditional markets and international supply chain cooperation.

Research on the Threshold Effect of China’s Pharmaceutical Export Trade on Internal and External R&D Investment

Objective To study the threshold effect of export trade on internal and external R&D investment in China’s pharmaceutical industry,and to provide reference for some pharmaceutical enterprises to improve the investment.Methods The panel data of pharmaceutical industry in 25 provinces and cities in China from 2009 to 2019 were selected to conduct empirical analysis by establishing a threshold regression model,and a better export trade interval was obtained.Results and Conclusion There is a threshold value for the effect of new product export on both internal and external R&D expenditures,and the threshold values are 845.2788 million yuan and 318.4198 million yuan,respectively.There is a single threshold effect of export trade on both internal and external R&D investment in China’s pharmaceutical industry,and the effect of export trade on internal and external R&D investment changes from negative to positive as the export trade develops from low to high.

The Think Following High Rise——Problem faced and Countermeasures for Export Firms Producing New and High-tech Products

China’sexportofnewandhigh-techproductsincreasedbymorethan30percentforthepastsuccessive4years.Indeed,itisnoteasytokeepsuchextraordinarymomentumofhigh-speedriseundercircumstancesofglobalslowpick-upinnewandhigh-techindustry.However,thehighriseinexportwithdifferenttradeformsadoptedbyvariedcompanieshidanumberofissuestobeconcerned:

Expanding the Role of African Firms In China’s Export Development

While there are a plethora of techniques that contribute to the success of a business and its operations in China,the often overlooked opportunity represented by public-private partnerships is one that private enterprises should not forgo when they begin the complex journey of navigating the Chinese market.

Absorptive capacity and R&D strategy of labor-managed firms

Taking absorptive capacity effects on research spillovers into consideration, this paper focuses on the R＆D investment decisions and the output decisions of labor-managed firms. Based on the general model of the cost-reducing R＆D, the strategic interactions of output and R＆D investment between labor-managed firms in a duopoly are analyzed. Moreover, the impact of absorptive capacity effects on optimal output in the production stage is discussed. In the R＆D stage, the impacts of absorptive capacity effects on the equilibrium R＆D investment in cooperative and non-cooperative R＆D are analyzed. Finally, the R＆D strategy of labor-managed firms is compared with the behavior of profit-maximizing firms. The results show that equilibrium R＆D investment is always higher than that in the exogenous spillover rate, which is similar to the behavior of the profit-maximizing firms. However, unlike the profit-maximizing firms, the impact of the absorptive capacity that affects the relationship between the optimal output and its own（rival＇ s）R＆D is shown to be dependent upon a return-to-scale of the production.

Security investment and information sharing for complementary firms with heterogeneous monetary loss

Two complementary firms＇ information sharing and security investment are investigated. When two complementary firms with heterogeneous assets are both breached, it is assumed that they suffer different losses which are associated with their information assets. Some insights about optimal strategies for the firms and the attacker are obtained by the game theory, which forms a comparison with those derived from substitutable firms, and those derived from complementary firms with homogenous loss. In addition, both the unit transform cost of investment and the extent of firms＇loss affect the optimal strategies.Assuming that firms can control information sharing, security investments and both of them, respectively, the effect of the social planner is further analyzed on the information sharing, firms＇ aggregate defence, the aggregate attack and social total cost. Finally, some policy advice is provided through numerical simulation. Results show that firms are willing to choose security investment centrally rather than individually, but an intervention in information sharing by the social planner may not necessarily be preferable.

Whose Aid is Beneficial to Firms'Exports?Evidence from a Post-disaster Aid Experiment in China

Post-disaster aid is widely regarded as important in helping local recovery and development.This paper examines the effectiveness of post-disaster aid on exports,which are a driving factor of economic development.It reports a natural experiment in China–the case of post-disaster aid following the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008–to examine how donors'experiences affected the exports of manufacturing firms in disaster-stricken counties.The export experience of the donor was important.Aid coming from donors with more export experience was more beneficial to the exports of firms in recipient counties than aid from less experienced donors.“Learning from the donor”is a potential channel through which this effect occurred.That is,firms in recipient counties learned from donors'export experience by exporting more products similar to those of donors,exporting more to the destination countries of donors,and participating in the donors'supply-chain networks by exporting more of the donors'exports.Such“learning from the donor”effects show that knowledge spillover can occur between spatially distant parties,which complements the literature.

How Chinese Financial Centers Integrate into Global Financial Center Networks:An Empirical Study Based on Overseas Expansion of Chinese Financial Service Firms

The increasing globalization of the Chinese economy has been enabled by both Chinese financial institutions operating globally as well as international firms operating within China. In geographical terms, this has been organized through a number of strategic cities serving as gateways for the exchange of financial functions, products and practices between China and the global economy. Drawing on location data of financial service firms in China listed on stock exchanges in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hong Kong, this paper shows that Chinese financial firms are expanding globally and how Chinese financial centers are positioned and connected in the urban networks shaped by these financial service firms. It is found that Hong Kong, China, holds strategic positions in the integration of Chinese cities into global financial center networks, and that establishing a foothold in global financial centers such as New York and London has been a priority for Chinese financial institutions. The increasing capital flows directed by Chinese financial institutionssuggests a shifting global financial geography, with numerous Chinese cities playing increasingly important roles within global financial center networks.

Identification of Behavior of Voluntary Traceability and Analysis of Its Determinants: A Case Study of Hog Slaughtering and Processing Firms in Zhejiang Province,China

In recent years, the Chinese government has highlighted the importance of adopting hog safety/quality traceability, and a growing amount of research continues to entice firms to adopt traceability systems. In this study, a survey was conducted on a sample of pig slaughtering and processing firms in Zhejiang, China through personal interviews and emails. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of firm behavior on the implementation of voluntary traceability systems with more stringent standards and controls than those of the mandatory system in China. The results revealed that motivation based on product quality improvement, capital ability and role perception （business type） had significantly positive relationships with a firm＇s voluntary traceability. Other incentives, such as operation improvement, recall risk reduction, reduced occurrence of safety issues, and technical strength were not found to be supportive in our study. This study provides an opportunity to better understand the determinants of firm behavior on voluntary traceability, particularly in light of the fact that some Chinese firms are facing the threat of criminal action for the use of illegal additives and the abuse of Clenbuterol. Policy recommendations on encouraging the implementation of pork safety voluntary traceability by hog slaughtering and processing firms are also discussed.

Effect of family control on corporate dividend policy of firms in Pakistan

This study examines the impact of family control on the dividend policy of firms in Pakistan,covering the period from 2009 to 2016.It also investigates whether family control moderates the impact of firm-specific factors on the dividend policy.The GMM model for panel data estimation is used.The mean difference univariate analysis shows that family firms differ from nonfamily firms based on financial characteristics.The multivariate analysis shows that family firms pay lower dividends than nonfamily firms.Besides,firm size inversely affects the dividend policy,whereas tangibility positively affects it.Moreover,family control does not moderate the impact of all firm-specific factors on the dividend policy.Overall,family control,size,and tangibility are found to be the main determinants of the dividend policy in Pakistan.