Productivity growth and international openness : evidence from Latin American countries 1980-2006

摘要

In this study we examine productivity growth and their relationship with internationaludopenness in Latin American countries over the period 1980¿2006. Overall results onudproductivity indicate a stagnation process for the entire period 1986¿2006. Theuddecomposition of productivity into catching up and technical change reveals that the firstudhave a stagnation process and the latter worsening. Analyzing the relationship betweenudproductivity growth and international openness we find different patterns for bothudmethodologies parametric (Arellano¿Bond estimator) and nonparametric (GAM) and forudboth measures of international openness merchandise trade (% of GDP) andud(export+imports)/GDP. In particular in a parametric way, although the shape is curvilinearudfor both models the relationship is positive inverted U¿shaped in the first case and Ushapedudin second.