Working Paper

Internationalization Strategies of Multi-Product Firms: The Role of Technology

Daniel Baumgarten, Michael Irlacher, Karin Mayr-Dorn
CESifo, Munich, 2020

CESifo Working Paper No. 8471

High-performance firms typically have two features in common: i) they produce in more than one country and ii) they produce more than one product. In this paper, we analyze the internationalization strategies of multi-product firms at the product-level. We find that the most productive firms sell core varieties via foreign direct investment (FDI) and export products with intermediate productivity. Shocks to trade costs and technology affect the endogenous decision to export or produce abroad at the product-level and, in turn, the relative productivity between parents and affiliates.

CESifo Category
Trade Policy
Industrial Organisation
Keywords: multi-product firms, FDI, exports, flexible manufacturing
JEL Classification: F120, F230, L250, L110