Patterns of export shipments

Abstract

Purpose

This paper studies the frequency and the average size of export shipments at the firm–product–destination level.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper sets up a theoretical model about the shipping frequency and the shipment size of exports to a given market from individual exporters. Then it confronts the predictions of the model with trade data.

Findings

This paper shows that patterns of export shipments are determined by (1) a product's export potential in a market, which is the exports revenue when the firm delivers the exports of the product to the market in a single shipment in each period; and (2) factors related to the firm's efficiency of managing shipments of the product exported to the market.

Originality/value

This paper reveals some important patterns of export shipments. It provides a theoretical model that explains the patterns.

Citation

Yang, X. (2023), "Patterns of export shipments", Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 50 No. 2, pp. 283-299. https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-11-2021-0575