Points clés :

• We evaluate whether the efficiency of industrial policies depends on the consistency of their focus with the local productive structure.
• We find positive export repercussions from the EPZ policy which are greater for sectors with denser the links with the local productive structure.
• Our results suggest that industrial-policy effectiveness is magnified by pre-existing productive knowledge.
• The export gains from the establishment of an EPZ are higher for a sector at the 90th percentile relative to a sector at the 10th percentile of the distribution of density, by a factor 1.24 for the non-targeted sectors.
• This factor is reinforced for sectors that are selected to benefit from the EPZ policy and rises to 1.27 for these targeted sectors.

 Résumé :
In this paper, we evaluate whether the efficiency of industrial policies depends on the consistency of their focus with the local productive structure. We use sector-level data from Chinese manufacturing surveys over the 1998-2007 period to show that the efficiency of the export-promoting policies implemented in Export Processing Zones depends on whether they target activities for which the necessary capabilities and resources are available. We find export benefits from the EPZ policy which are greater for sectors with denser links with the local productive structure. Our results suggest that industrial-policy effectiveness is magnified by pre-existing productive knowledge.

 Mots-clés : Export Processing Zones | Industrial Policy | Export Promotion Effectiveness | China

 JEL : F13, F14, O25, R11