Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
12-2026
Abstract
Domestic policies regulating the horizontal dimensions of product differentiation can impede international trade and have become a major concern in contemporary trade negotiations. We estimate trade frictions associated with incompatible designs of electric plugs, a well-known example of a horizontal regulatory barrier. Our findings indicate that fewer electronic devices are exported to destinations with incompatible electric plugs, and this effect operates through both the extensive margin and the intensive margin of exports. These results are further corroborated by an online survey of Chinese electronics exporters. Moreover, incompatible plugs are associated with lower average quality of exported electronic devices, suggesting that horizontal regulatory barriers are linked to variation in the vertical dimension of product differentiation.
Keywords
Horizontal product standards, Non-tariff barriers, Product quality
Discipline
International Economics | Public Policy
Research Areas
International Economics
Areas of Excellence
Growth in Asia
Publication
Journal of International Economics
Volume
164
First Page
1
Last Page
36
ISSN
0022-1996
Identifier
10.1016/j.jinteco.2026.104312
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
MEI, Yuan and XU, Mingzhi (Jimmy).
Horizontal regulatory barriers in international trade: Evidence from electric plugs. (2026). Journal of International Economics. 164, 1-36.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soe_research/2898
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2026.104312