International Standards and Export Performance: Evidence from Pakistani Firms
利用巴基斯坦纺织服装企业面板数据，研究发现国际标准认证使企业出口概率提高44个百分点，出口量增长近16倍，年出口增速提升82%，主要通过产品多样化、知识网络和创新等渠道发挥作用。
We examine the relationship between international standards certification and export performance among firms in a developing economy, using a unique panel dataset from Pakistan’s textile and apparel sector. To address endogeneity concerns, we implement a novel instrumental variable strategy that leverages the prevalence of certified non-rival firms within the same district as an exogenous source of variation in certification adoption. Our estimates suggest that certification is associated with a 44 percentage point increase in the likelihood of exporting, nearly sixteen-fold higher export volumes, and an 82 percent boost in annual export growth. These estimates remain robust to a series of identification checks, including alternative instrument construction, more demanding fixed effects specifications, and district-specific linear time trends. Exploring the underlying mechanisms, we find evidence that certification facilitates product diversification, enhances knowledge networks, promotes both product and process innovation, and is associated with significant gains in labour productivity. However, certification does not appear to lead to greater product complexity, suggesting that while it may drive horizontal expansion and strengthen external linkages, it may not be sufficient for vertical upgrading.