Firm-level comparative advantage

We study the consequences of heterogeneity in factor intensity on firm performance. We present a standard Heckscher-Ohlin model augmented with factor intensity differences across firms within a country-industry pair. We show that for any two firms, each of whose capital intensity is, for instance, one percent above (below) its respective country-industry average, the relative marginal cost of the firm in the capital-intensive industry of the capital-abundant country is lower (higher) than that of the other firm. Our empirical analysis, conducted using data for a large panel of European firms, supports this prediction. These results provide a novel approach to the verification of the Heckscher-Ohlin theory and new evidence on its validity.