One-off export events

摘要

Isolated single-month, one-off export transactions (observed once in a 49-month window) turn out to be the dominant spell length in granular firm-product-destination trade data. Moreover, on average, for an export-active firm, such one-off events generate a significant part of foreign sales. These patterns cannot be explained by the lumpiness of trade (e.g., seasonal shipments), nor do they sit well with available trade models. To reconcile theory with the data, we introduce passive (i.e., unsolicited buyer-side driven) exporting in addition to proactive exporting. Our empirical investigation establishes novel stylized facts on firm and destination characteristics associated with one-off exporting.