Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/121024 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2009
Series/Report no.: 
FIW Working Paper No. 23
Publisher: 
FIW - Research Centre International Economics, Vienna
Abstract: 
This paper tests for one mechanism that can explain the existence of a language barrier to trade. Specifically, I ask if those industries that require more cross-border communication in order to export their products trade more between Canadian provinces that know the other's language(s). I find that trade in industries with a need to communicate directly (orally) with importers increases with the probability that people in another province speak the same language. This finding can fill a missing link in the empirical trade literature, which lacked convincing arguments for the observed correlation between language commonality and the total volume of trade.
Subjects: 
Language
Trade cost
Gravity model
Canada
JEL: 
F10
F15
F40
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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