Productivity effects of trade in natural resources: Comparison with mechanisms of technological specialisation

Arbeitspapier

This paper compares two alternative growth paths, assessing the effects on productivity of specialisation in natural resources (NR) and in technologically advanced products. The empirical analysis exploits product-level export data for 109 developing and 51 developed economies over the period 1996-2018. We document two distinct types of specialisation, based on exports either of natural resources or of technological products, and compare their role in productivity growth by GMM estimation of a conditional convergence model. In general, reliance on natural resource exports slows growth, but we find that the type of resources exported is important: fuel exports hamper growth while specialisation in metals enhances the catch-up in productivity. Technological specialisation, especially in products typical of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, reinforces productivity growth but does not affect the relationship between resources and productivity growth.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: GUT FME Working Paper Series A ; No. 2/2022 (68)

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products ; Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence ; Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development
• Subject: natural resources ; technological specialisation ; productivity growth ; convergence

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Zarach, Zuzanna ; Parteka, Aleksandra
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Management and Economics
• (where): Gdańsk
• (when): 2022

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/273132
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET