The Export Dynamics of Firms in Traditional Industries during Recession

In this paper the export dynamics of firms in a traditional industrial setting during recession is examined in a manner which explicitly interprets exporting as part of an ongoing internationalization process. The analysis is based on a survey of sixty-five firms in the Sheffield region of South Yorkshire. Although the export performance of these firms varied considerably between 1979 and 1981, net exports declined sharply and the European Economic Community, in particular, remains a difficult market for Sheffield firms to penetrate. Finally, restructuring plans must necessarily address the question of foreign competition.