Export modes and firms’ adjustments to exchange rate movements

The paper provides novel evidence on the heterogeneous response of exporting firms to exchange rate movements. Italian firm-level trade data by product and destination indeed unveil that adjustments to exchange rate variation substantially differ across export modes. The estimates show that, in the event of a domestic currency appreciation, export intermediaries react by decreasing more their price – and less their export volume – than direct manufacturing exporters; and that the different response of direct exporters and wholesale firms is not driven by firm heterogeneity in size or productivity. By examining the aggregate implications of such micro-level findings, the paper documents that, following an appreciation, aggregate bilateral exports routed through wholesale firms tend to decline by less than total direct exports. Overall, our results suggest that, in addition to facilitating trade, export intermediation may substantially contribute to stabilizing trade patterns across countries.