Las empresas españolas exportadoras de bienes y servicios no turísticos: análisis comparativo e impacto de la crisis

Abstract

The new-new international trade theories emphasize the role of firms' efficiency on the external competitiveness of an economy, since only the most productive firms in each sector are able to initiate and consolidate its export activity, given the costs related to exporting. These theories help to reconcile the unfavorable behavior of cost and price competitiveness indicators (which do not take into account firm heterogeneity) with the favorable performance of Spain's export shares in comparison with other developed economies. The use of micro data also allows analyzing whether the aggregate export performance depends more on expanding the exporting firms base (extensive margin) or the average exports by firm (intensive margin). The aim of this article is to provide a comparative view of the main characteristics of Spanish goods and services exporting firms, with special attention to the impact of the recent global crisis and subsequent recovery. It uses a large and representative sample of Spanish exporting firms for the period 2001-2010, for which there is available data about their main characteristics. The data confirm, among other features, that exporting firms are larger, more efficient, are implied in more FDI operations and are usually in better financial position than non-exporting firms. During the period 2001-2010, the export growth was based mainly on the intensive margin, while the extensive margin was led by SMEs. The recent international crisis has not interrupted the process of internationalization of Spanish firms, although it has slowed.