Horizontal Regulatory Barriers in International Trade: Evidence from Electric Plugs
中文摘要
规范产品差异化横向维度的国内政策可能阻碍国际贸易,并已成为当代贸易谈判中的主要关切。我们估计了与电源插头不兼容设计相关的贸易摩擦,这是横向监管壁垒的一个著名例子。研究发现,出口至电源插头不兼容目的地的电子设备数量更少,且这一效应同时通过出口的广延边际和集约边际发挥作用。对中国电子产品出口商的在线调查进一步证实了这些结果。此外,插头不兼容与出口电子设备较低的平均质量相关,表明横向监管壁垒与产品差异化垂直维度的变化相关联。
Abstract
Domestic policies regulating the horizontal dimensions of product differentiation can impede international trade and have become a major concern in contemporary trade negotiations. We estimate trade frictions associated with incompatible designs of electric plugs, a well-known example of a horizontal regulatory barrier. Our findings indicate that fewer electronic devices are exported to destinations with incompatible electric plugs, and this effect operates through both the extensive margin and the intensive margin of exports. These results are further corroborated by an online survey of Chinese electronics exporters. Moreover, incompatible plugs are associated with lower average quality of exported electronic devices, suggesting that horizontal regulatory barriers are linked to variation in the vertical dimension of product differentiation.