Determinants of Export Survival:The Case of Ghanaian Manufacturers

In this study, we sought to investigate the factors that affect the export survival of Ghanaian manufacturing firms, using the survival (or duration) analysis technique. The study used a panel dataset (of Ghanaian manufacturing firms) spanning from 1991 to 1998, obtained from the regional program for enterprise development (RPED)/Ghana Manufacturing Enterprise surveys, which was jointly conducted by the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), the University of Oxford, the University of Ghana (Legon), and the Ghana Statistical Office. Our findings suggest that median duration of Ghanaian manufacturers in export markets is 5-6 years. The study also reveals that the longer a firm remains exporting, the greater the likelihood of survival in exporting. Other factors including firm age, size and export intensity each enhance the probability of firms' survival in exporting while exporting a final product reduces the probability of survival.