Exporting costs and multi‐product shipments*
利用俄罗斯进口交易数据，发现高收入国家企业更常将多种产品合并装运以分摊固定成本，并构建局部均衡模型量化多产品装运对贸易量和福利的提升。
Abstract In this paper, employing transaction‐level data for Russian imports, we explore the role of multi‐product shipments in explaining shipping patterns across countries. In our data, an average shipment includes five different products. We document that firms from higher‐income countries on average include a larger number of different products into a single shipment and have a larger number of shipments per period with a lower average quantity and value. We then propose a mechanism that reconciles both facts. Specifically, multi‐product shipments allow firms to split fixed costs per shipment across many products and, therefore, reduce total shipment costs. As a result, higher‐income countries tend to have lower fixed costs per shipment. Finally, we construct a simple partial equilibrium model that enables us to quantify the potential increases in trade volumes and welfare created by the multi‐product shipment option.