Global Value Chains and the Productivity of Canadian Manufacturing Firms

The paper examines whether the integration of Canadian manufacturing firms into a global value chain (GVC) improves their productivity. To control for the self-selection effect (more productive firms self-select to join a GVC), propensity-score matching and difference-in-difference methods are used. Becoming part of a GVC can enhance firms' productivity, both immediately and over time. The magnitude and timing of the effects vary by industrial sector, internationalization process, and import source/export destination country in a way that suggests the most substantial advantages of GVC participation are derived from technological improvements.