The import channel of the resource curse

Natural resource dependence subjects economies to macroeconomic and structural challenges. The focus of attention in the ‘resource curse’ literature has been on the export side, while the import side has received much less attention. This column uses new firm-level data on imports in 53 countries to explore the effect of natural resource dependence on market concentration of imports. The findings suggest a novel channel of the resource curse running through the monopolisation of imports.