Zhang Chen

Welcome!

I am an assistant professor at the Economics Department of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). I work on macroeconomics and international trade. I am particularly interested in studying firm dynamics in the growth and global settings.

You can find my CV here.

Email: zhangchen.econ@gmail.com

Working Papers

Firm Entry and Market Interdependence with Cheng Chen and Chang Sun. [Paper]
- Unilateral tariffs on the home country can also depress its exports to third countries through firms' joint entry decisions.
Export by Cohort with Qing Huang. [Paper]
- Later cohorts of exporters perform better in sales since they start with a larger customer base building upon predecessors' reputation.

Work in Progress

The Lifecycle of the Labor Share with Joao Monteiro and Liangjie Wu.

Publications

Discussion of “Human Capital as a Driver of Automation: Theory and Evidence from China’s College Expansion”, International Economic Review, forthcoming. [Final WP][Journal]
Economic Growth and the Rise of Large Firms, Econometrica, July 2026. [2023 WP] [Final WP] [Journal]

Policy Publications

Trade and FDI Policies in an Interdependent World: Lessons From East Asia, with Cheng Chen and Chang Sun, Asian Economic Policy Review, July 2026. [Journal]

Dormant Papers

Knowledge Diffusion Through Networks with Treb Allen, Kamran Bilir and Christopher Tonetti. [SSRN]