Sources of Competitiveness of the United States and of its Multinational Firms

This paper compares the industry characteristics that determine U.S. export competitiveness with those that affect the export competitiveness of U.S. multinationals. Higher R&D and human capital intensities are associated with high U.S. shares in exports and, more strongly with high U.S. multinationals' shares, and higher labor content with low shares. Within the multinationals, high R&D intensity leads to a larger share of the firms' exports being supplied from the U.S. parent. The higher the labor intensity and the level of advertising expenditures in an industry, the larger the proportion of the firms' exports supplied by the foreign affiliates.