Christian Volpe Martincus

TIGN

Christian Volpe Martincus, Principal Economist

Bio Christian Volpe

Christian Volpe Martincus is Principal Economist at the Integration and Trade Sector (INT) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Christian has expertise in international trade, regional integration, and economic geography. He previously worked for the Ministry of the Economy of the Province of Buenos Aires and was advisor at the MERCOSUR Commission of the National Representatives Chamber in Argentina. In addition, he was researcher at the Center for European Integration Studies in Bonn, Germany. At the IDB Christian has been working on the role of export promotion in shaping countries’ export diversification profiles, the effect of transport costs on trade flows, the impact of integration on specialization patterns, the effect of certifications on firms’ export performance, the interplay between innovation and exports, and has recently lead an innovative project aimed to assess the impacts of several trade facilitation policies on firms and their countries trade outcomes. He is the technical leader of INT impact evaluation work related to trade and investment operations and initiatives, the INT networks ELSNIT and TIGN, and the INT Trade Policy Research Seminar Series. He has also advised several governments on export promotion, trade facilitation, and the evaluation of the respective programs. Christian holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bonn and a Master in Economics from the National University of La Plata (Argentina). He has presented in numerous international academic and policy workshops and conferences and has published on international trade and economic geography in several international professional journals, including the Journal of International Economics, the Journal of Development Economics, Review of International Economics, Regional Science and Urban Economics, Journal of Regional Science, Review of World Economics, and The World Economy. Christian currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Review of International Economics.

Export Promotion

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“Did Export Promotion Help Firms Weather the Crisis?" (with Johannes van Biesebroeck and Jozef Konings), Economic Policy, 31, 88/ CEPR Discussion Paper 11101 [Pre-Print Version].

“Entering New Country and Product Markets: Does Export Promotion Help?” (with Jerónimo Carballo), Review of World Economics, 146, 3 / IDB Working Paper 203 [Pre-Print Version].

“Export Promotion: Bundled Services Work Better” (with Jerónimo Carballo), The World Economy, 33, 12 / IDB Working Paper 206 [Pre-Print Version].

“Public Programs to Promote Firms’ Exports in Developing Countries: Are There Heterogeneous Effects by Size Categories” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Pablo Garcia),Applied Economics, 44 / IDB Working Paper 205 [Pre-Print Version].

“Export Promotion Activities in Developing Countries: What Kind of Trade Do They Promote?” (with Jerónimo Carballo), Journal of International Trade and Economic Development, 21, 4 / IDB Working Paper 202 [Pre-Print Version].

“The Impact of Export Promotion Institutions on Trade: Is It the Intensive or the Extensive Margin” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Andrés Gallo), Applied Economic Letters, 18 / IDB Working Paper 199 [Pre-Print Version].

“Beyond the Average Effects: The Distributional Impacts of Export Promotion Programs in Developing Countries” (with Jerónimo Carballo), Journal of Development Economics, 92, 2 / IDB Working Paper 204 [Pre-Print Version].

“Information Barriers, Export Promotion Institutions, and the Extensive Margin of Trade” (with Antoni Estevadeordal, Andrés Gallo, and Jessica Luna), Review of World Economics, 146 / IDB Working Paper 200 [Pre-Print Version].

“Is Export Promotion Effective in Developing Countries? Firm-Level Evidence on the Intensive and Extensive Margin of Exports” (with Jerónimo Carballo), Journal of International Economics, 76, 1 / IDB Working Paper 201 [Pre-Print Version].

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

“20 años de promoción de exportaciones e inversiones en Uruguay: ¿Cuál ha sido el impacto de la asistencia brindada por Uruguay XXI a las firmas?” (in Spanish) (with Jerónimo Carballo, Ignacio Marra de Artiñano and Federica Gómez Decker), IDB Policy Brief 325, Washington DC [Link]

"A World of Possibilities: Internationalization for Productive Development", in G. Crespi, E. Fernández-Arias, and E. Stein (eds.)., "Rethinking Productive Development", IDB, Washington, DC [Link]. 

“Assessing the Impact of Trade Promotion in Latin America”, in O. Cadot, A. Fernandes, J. Gourdon, and A. Mattoo (eds.), “Where to Spend the Next Million? Applying Impact Evaluation to Trade Assistance”, CEPR and the World Bank, Washington, DC [Link].

”Odyssey in International Markets. An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Export Promotion in Latin American and the Caribbean”, IDB, Washington, DC [Link 1] [Link 2].

“Firm Size and the Impact of Export Promotion Programs” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Pablo Garcia), in Dan Ciuriak (ed.), “Trade Policy Research 2010 – Exporter Dynamics and Productivity”, Ottawa, Canada [Link 1] [Link 2].

”Export Promotion Organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Institutional Portrait” (with Jacint Jordana and Andrés Gallo), IDB Working Paper 198.

“Export Promotion in Colombia: What are its Effects on Firms’ Export Performance?” (with Jerónimo Carballo), in F. Jaramillo (ed.), “Growth Challenges in Colombia: Deficient or Insufficient Policies?” (in Spanish), IDB and FEDESAROLLO, Bogotá [Link].

Infrastructure, Transport Costs, and Exports

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“Routes, Exports, and Employment: Evidence from a Developing Country” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Ana Cusolito), Journal of Development Economics, 125 (March).

“How Do Transport Costs Affect Firms’ Exports? Evidence from a Vanishing Bridge” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Pablo Garcia, and Alejandro Graziano), Economic Letters, 123, 2.

”Shaky Roads and Trembling Exports: Assessing the Trade Effects of Domestic Infrastructure using a Natural Experiment” (with Juan Blyde), Journal of International Economics, 90, 1 / IDB Working Paper 464 [Pre-Print Version].

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

“Too Far To Export: Domestic Transport Costs and Regional Export Disparities in Latin America and the Caribbean” (with Mauricio Mesquita Moreira, Juan Blyde, and Danielken Molina), IDB, October 2013 [Link]. 

“Unclogging the Arteries: The Impact of Transport Costs on Latin American and Caribbean Trade” (with Mauricio Mesquita Moreira and Juan Blyde), David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [Link].

Dissemination Pieces

”New Roads to Export: Insights from the Inca Roads” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Ana Cusolito), VOX Column.

Trade Facilitation

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“Customs” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Alejandro Graziano), Journal of International Economics, 96, 1 / IDB Working Paper 705 [Pre-Print Version].

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

"Out of the Border Labyrinth: An Assessment of Trade Facilitation Initiativesin Latin American and the Caribbean”, IDB, Washington, DC [Link 1][Link 2

"Transportation and Trade Interactions: A Trade Facilitation Perspective" (with Jerónimo Carballo and Georg Schaur), in B. Blonigen and W. Wilson (eds), Handbook of International Trade and Transportation / IDB Working Paper 791 [Pre-Print Version].

"Endogenous Border Times" (with Jerónimo Carballo, Alejandro Graziano, and Georg Schaur),IDB Working Paper 702.

”The Border Labyrinth: Information Technologies and Trade in the Presence of Multiple Agencies” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Alejandro Graziano, and Georg Schaur), IDB Working Paper 706.

“Trust No One? Security and International Trade” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Georg Schaur), IDB Working Paper 703.

“Posts as Trade Facilitators” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Georg Schaur), IDB Working Paper 701.

”Transit Trade” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Alejandro Graziano, and Georg Schaur), IDB Working Paper 704.

“The Heterogeneous Cost of Port-of-Entry Delays” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Alejandro Graziano, and Georg Schaur), IDB Discussion Paper 351.

Dissemination Pieces

“Narrowing Borders, Expanding Trade in Latin America”, International Trade Forum Magazine, International Trade Center.

“The Two Border Challenges: Security and Facilitation” (in Spanish) (with Manuel Marquez Fariña), Revista Integración y Comercio, 38, INTAL, Buenos Aires.

Investment Promotion and FDI Linkages

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

“How Effective is Investment Promotion?: Firm-Level Evidence” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Ignacio Marra de Artiñano and Juan Blyde), IDB Discussion Paper 741

“Multinational Production and "Soft" Industrial Policies” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Ignacio Marra de Artiñano), IDB Working Paper 1106

“Linkages with Multinationals and Domestic Firms' Performance” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Ignacio Marra de Artiñano), IDB Technical Note 1746

“How to Solve the Investment Promotion Puzzle: A Mapping of Investment Promotion Agencies in Latin America and the Caribbean and OECD Countries” (with Monika Sztajerowska), IDB, Washington, D.C. [Link]

Dissemination Pieces

“How to create effective investment promotion agencies?” (with Monika Sztajerowska), Beyond Borders Blog

New technologies, Trade, and Investment

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

“New Technologies and Trade: New Determinants, Modalities, and Varieties” (with Antoni Estevadeordal and Marisol Rodríguez Chatruc), IDB Discussion Paper 746

“Information and Exports: Firm-Level Evidence from an Online Platform” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Marisol Rodríguez Chatruc and Carlos Salamanca Malagón), IDB Discussion Paper 663

“Online Business Platforms and International Trade” (with Jerónimo Carballo, Marisol Rodríguez Chatruc and Catalina Salas Santa), IDB Working Paper 1131

Trade Policy, Specialization, and Economic Geography

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“Economic Integration Agreements and Production Fragmentation: Evidence on the Extensive Margin” (with Juan Blyde and Alejandro Graziano), Applied Economics Letters, 22, 10.

“Spatial Effects of Trade Policy: Evidence from Brazil”, Journal of Regional Science, 50, 2 / ZEI Working Paper B05-07 [Pre-Print Version].

“The Impact of South-South Preferential Trade Agreements on Industrial Development: An Empirical Test”, Journal of Economic Integration, 25, 1 / IDB/INT Working Paper 22 (with Pablo Sanguinetti and Iulia Traistau-Siedschlag) [Pre-Print Version].

“Institutions and Export Specialization: Just Direct Effects” (with Andrés Gallo), Kyklos, 62, 1.

“Trade Policy and Export Diversification: What Should Colombia Expect from the FTA with the United States” (with Sandra Milena Gómez), International Trade Journal, 24, 2 / IDB Working Paper 136 [Pre-Print Version].

“Trade Policy and Specialization in Developing Countries” (with Antoni Estevadeordal), Review of World Economics, 145, 2 / IDB Working Paper 134 [Pre-Print Version].

“Tariffs and Manufacturing Location in Argentina” (with Pablo Sanguinetti), Regional Science and Urban Economics, 39, 2.

“Regional Business Cycles and National Economic Borders: What are the Effects of Trade in Developing Countries?” (with Andrea Molinari) Review of World Economics, 143, 1.

“Economic Integration and Manufacturing Concentration Patterns: Evidence from MERCOSUR” (with Iulia Traistaru-Siedschlag), Open Economies Review, 17, 3 / ZEI Working Paper B03-23 [Pre-Print Version].

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

“A Microeconomic Look at the Impact of Tariffs on Latin American Exports” (with Fernando Morales and Martha Denisse Pierola), IDB Discussion Paper 734

“The Mechanics behind Liberalization: The Macro Evidence” (with Mauricio Mesquita Moreira), in M. Moreira and E. Stein (eds)., “Trading Promises for Results: What Global Integration Can Do for Latin America and the Caribbean”, IDB, Washington, D.C. [Link]

“The Mechanics behind Liberalization: The Micro Evidence” (with Mauricio Mesquita Moreira, Juan Blyde and Danielle Trachtenberg), in M. Moreira and E. Stein (eds)., “Trading Promises for Results: What Global Integration Can Do for Latin America and the Caribbean”, IDB, Washington, D.C. [Link]

“Labor Adjustment Policies: What Works?” (with Mauricio Mesquita Moreira), in M. Moreira and E. Stein (eds)., “Trading Promises for Results: What Global Integration Can Do for Latin America and the Caribbean”, IDB, Washington, D.C. [Link]

“New Technologies and Trade: New Challenges for a New World” (with Marisol Rodríguez Chatruc), in M. Moreira and E. Stein (eds)., “Trading Promises for Results: What Global Integration Can Do for Latin America and the Caribbean”, IDB, Washington, D.C. [Link]

“Uneven Stumbling Blocks: Latin American Regionalism Revisited” (with Rod Ludema and Anna Maria Mayda), IDB [Link]. 

"Do Rules of Origin Constrain Export Growth? Firm-Level Evidence from Colombia" (with Olivier Cadot, Alejandro Graziano, and Jeremy Harris, IDB Discussion Paper 350

"Global Value Chains and Rules and Rules of Origin" (with Antoni Estevadeordal, Juan Blyde, and Jeremy Harris), in ICTSD, "The E15 initiative: Strengthening the Multilateral Trading System - Global Value Chains Group - Proposals and Analysis" [Link].

“Complements or Substitutes? Preferential and Multilateral Trade Liberalization at the Sectoral Level” (with Antoni Estevadeordal and Mitsuyo Ando), IDB Working Paper 151.

“Trade Policy and Sectoral Specialization in Latin America” (with Antoni Estevadeordal), IDB Working Paper 134.

“Economic Integration, Fiscal Policy, and Location of Economic Activities: The Case of MERCOSUR”, Shaker Verlag, Aachen.

“Economic Integration in a Multicone World” (with Jennifer Wu), ZEI Working Paper B05-07.

“South-South Integration Agreements and the Dynamics of Regional Specialization: Do Preferential Tariffs Matter? (with Pablo Sanguinetti), Universidad Di Tella, mimeo.

“Economic Integration and Location of Production Activities: The Case of MERCOSUR” (with Pablo Sanguinetti and Iulia Traistaru-Siedschlag), IDB Economic and Social Study Series R1-04-001.

“Economic Integration and Location of Production Activities: The Case of MERCOSUR” (in Spanish), Documento de Trabajo Nº 23, Department of Economics, National University of La Plata.

Dissemination Pieces

”Economic Integration Agreements and the Location of Vertical FDI” (with Juan Blyde and Alejandro Graziano), VOX Column.

“Regional Trade Agreements: Development Challenges and Policy Options“ (with Antoni Estevadeordal and Kati Suominen), ICTSD, “The E15 Initiative: Strengthening the Multilateral Trading System – E15 Expert Group on Regional Trade Agreements and Multilateral Approaches“, Overview Paper.

“Global Value Chains and Rules of Origin“ (with Antoni Estevadeordal, Juan Blyde, and Jeremy Harris), ICTSD, “The E15 Initiative: Strengthening the Multilateral Trading System – E15 Expert Group on Global Value Chains: Development Challenges and Policy Options“, Think Piece.

“Trade and the International Organization of Production: Prospects for Latin America and the Caribbean (in Spanish) (with Juan Blyde), Revista Integración y Comercio, 32, INTAL, Buenos Aires.

Firms’ Exports

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“The Buyer Margins of Firms' Exports” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Gianmarco Ottaviano), Journal of International Economics, 112CEPR Discussion Paper 9584 [Pre-Print Version].

“ISO Standards: A Certificate to Expand Exports? Firm-Level Evidence from Argentina” (with Tomás Castagnino and Sebastián Castresana), Review of International Economics, 18, 5.

“SMEs in Argentina: Who are the Exporters?”(with Gianmarco Ottaviano), Small Business Economics, 37, 3 / Centro Studi D’ Agliano Development Studies Working Paper 283 [Pre-Print Version].

Working Papers, Books, and Book Chapters

“Survival of New Exporters in Developing Countries: Does It Matter How They Diversify?" (with Jerónimo Carballo) IDB Working Paper 140.

Dissemination Pieces

“When Harry meets Sally: The Buyer Margins of Firms’ Exports” (with Jerónimo Carballo and Gianmarco Ottaviano), VOX Column