Low export diversification is a risk-augmenting factor for many countries dependent on natural resources. The literature tends to focus on the growth effects of resource dependence (‘resource curse’ debate) while not much is known on how it affects the variety of non-resource exports. To quantify this effect we decompose the relative Theil index using product-level export data from 160 countries over the time period 1996–2018....

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...

Empirical findings confirm that relatively high specialisation of economic structures tends to be associated with low levels of income per capita, but countries diversify their export structures along their path of growth. However, usually only per capita income, and eventually, country-specific fixed effects are the sole explanatory variables taken into consideration in the estimation of specialisation curves. We extend the analysis...

This paper analyses the effects of productivity and country size on the extent of trade structure diversification. Using a testable version of the Ricardian model, we show that relative export variety is an outcome of two forces: a relative productivity change (technological progress) and a relative country size change (labour force growth). The model predictions are validated empirically using product-level trade data for a sample...

This paper contributes to the empirical literature on the relationship between “export variety” (export diversification) and economic development by relaxing the assumption of cross-country independence and allowing for spatial diffusion of shocks in observed and unobserved factors. Export variety is measured for a balanced panel of 114 countries (1992–2012) using very detailed information on their exports (HS 6-digit product level)....