Osaka Workshop on Economics of Institutions and Organization (#149)

How does the international asymmetry in the degree of credit market imperfections affect patterns of trade, financial flows, and the growth rate? To investigate this issue in a unified framework, in this study we introduce financial frictions into an asymmetric two-country model of trade, growth, and firm heterogeneity. Owing to asymmetric countries, the market size for the tradable goods in each country is endogenously determined. Main results are summarized as follows. First, unilateral relaxation of credit constraints in one country enlarges the market size for the tradable goods in that country. Second, such a change in the market size facilitates elimination of unproductive firms even in the other country. Third, then, even unilateral relaxation of credit constraints increases the both countries’ common long-run growth rate.Abstract：Ryoji Ohdoi