Since the 2000s, there have been numerous papers evaluating impacts of EPAs using firm-level data from different countries and regions.<sup>10</sup> Most of these studies take advantage of a greater availability of data and new econometric techniques used in impact evaluation literature to deal with selection issues in non-experimental programs. All in all, most findings converge with the positive results found by the more aggregated approach.

In the emerging and developing countries context, Espinoza and Crespi (2000) show a positive impact of Prochile (Trade Comission of Chile, responsible for implementing and enhancing Chile’s trade policy) on firms’ export performance in Chile, particularly on extensive margin due to a scheme called “export committee.” Volpe Martincus (2010) shows some evidence of the effectiveness of EPAs in many Latin American countries on the intensive and the extensive margins of trade. His conclusion is reinforced by different studies using firm-level data to analyze the impact of these agencies and export programs in Peru (Promperu), Costa Rica (Procomer), Uruguay (Uruguay XXI), Chile (Prochile), Argentina (Fundancion ExportAR) and Colombia (Proexport).<sup>11</sup> In addition, these studies find that the impact is larger for smaller firms (taking into account the cases of Argentina and Chile) and that bundled services work better.

In addition to these findings for Latin American, Girma et al. (2009a) show evidence of a positive but heterogeneous impact of production-related subsidies on exports in China. According to them, the program was more effective among more profitable firms and capital intensive industries. Cadot et al. (2012) also find a positive impact of Famex, a program that provided firms in Tunisia with matching grants for promoting exporters through co-financing half of the cost of export business plans. However, they find a positive impact on export value only in the short run (two periods after the treatment). After this period treated and control groups of firms seem to have similar performance. Nonetheless, the impact seems to be persistent, even after five years for new products and destinations.

In high-income economies, Chen et al. (2011) analyze the case of Canadian Trade Promotion Services using firm-level data from 1999 to 2006 and find a robust positive effect at the intensive margin. Hiller (2012) analyzes the impact of export association membership on export sales and the number of products in Denmark and finds a more significant effect on the intensive margin (export sales).<sup>12</sup> Most of these studies use standard procedures to deal with selection bias in a non-experimental

> 10Seringhaus and Botschen (1991) also used a small sample from a survey carried with 312 firms in Austria and 271 firms in Canada (271) to compare the difference between the services provided by EPAs in both countries taking into account the fact that they were public based in Canada and private in Austria.

> 11See Volpe Martincus and Carballo (2008), Jordana et al. (2010), Volpe Martincus and Carballo (2010a), Volpe Martincus and Carballo (2010b), Volpe Martincus et al. (2010) and Volpe Martincus and Carballo (2010c).

> 12Hiller (2012) also finds a positive impact on number of products exported.

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