Abstract
This paper uses a newly assembled multi-country multi-industry firm-level dataset to test the e¤ect of productivity and networking on the export probability of firms. Results are in line with the new-new trade theory and with the literature on the information value of net- works. Firms are more likely to export if they are more productive, larger, and if they bene…t from foreign networks (ownership and financial linkages), domestic networks (chamber of commerce, links to regulation), and communication networks (E-mail, internet). Firms bear a lower probability of exporting if they have state or labor net- works. Overall, firms with better network connections by one standard deviation enjoy a 15% higher probability of exporting.