Export Assistance: The Way Back and Forward

Abstract

Export assistance attracted many researchers during the last three decades. Considering the present realities and future possibilities in world trade, governments in many countries have increased their efforts to boost national exports. Researchers have investigated the impact of such assistance on export performance, at the national and/or firm level. Despite increased interest in this area, few attempts have been made to address the outcomes of such promotion at the firm level. The few studies which exist have not been very successful in establishing strong link between the two. In this chapter, we first provide a brief review of the evolution of export assistance literature by including and analyzing the studies since 1964. Then we summarize two existing review articles on export assistance literature which covered studies on the topic until 1991. Next we try to extend the review beyond this period to broaden our knowledge about current trends in the field. We critically examine empirical studies on the subject and eventually develop a new, extended model for the relationship between export assistance and firm performance. Finally, we conclude by giving suggestions for future research in the field.