The pro-trade impacts of immigrants: a meta-analysis of network effects

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there are any systematic relationships between the characteristics of each study about immigrants’ pro-trade impacts and its results. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A meta-analysis of 24 papers and 184 estimates that study the trade-creating network effects of immigrants is employed. FINDINGS: The paper finds that, first, immigrant’s trade-creating effects are higher for English-speaking countries than for non-English-speaking countries; second, immigrant’s trade-creating effects are higher for disaggregated data than for aggregated data; third, the trade-creating effects seem declining over time. Besides, no evidence of publication bias has been found. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: This study relied heavily on case studies on developed countries. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Given strong evidence about the pro-trade effects of immigrants and the unevenness of such effects, the world countries could reduce the cost and barriers for the movements of immigrants and thus help to increase international trade. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper is the first to use meta-analysis to assess the pro-trade effects of immigrants across different studies.