PLANT SCALE AND EXCHANGE-RATE-INDUCED PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH

This paper examines the impact of exchange rate movements on firm-level productivity through changes in the scale of production. We employ plant-level data to examine whether, and in what direction, exchange rate movements affect the scale of production, and how these changes in scale influence productivity. The paper finds that a real appreciation of the domestic currency reduces shipments and this negative effect is larger for exporters (both domestic and foreign owned). The paper also finds evidence that the appreciation-induced reduction of scale negatively affects productivity at the plant level. This scale effect more than offsets any potential gains from the appreciation-induced reduction in the price of imported inputs.