Export Diversification and Development - Empirical Assessment

This paper assesses the role played by country specific factors as determinants of exports' diversification process. Using a panel data-set for 60 countries and twenty years (1985-2004) we confirm that even after clearing out differences in income per capita, cross section variability in the degree of exports' diversification is significant. In general, apart from per capita income, variables influencing the size of accessible markets (domestic and foreign) are the most relevant and robust determinants of the export diversification process. Diversification opportunities grow if countries are large, not located far from economic core areas and when barriers to trade are restricted.