Data for: Circumvention-Driven Entrepreneurship: Individual Firm Relocation Responses to Geopolitical Institutional Shocks

Research Hypothesis: This dataset tests whether economic sanctions generate systematic business migration to neighboring countries maintaining customs unions with sanctioned economies, potentially undermining sanctions effectiveness. Following March 2022 Western sanctions on Russia, Kazakhstan—an Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member—experienced dramatic foreign firm registration increases. The hypothesis predicts migration concentrates in border regions where firms can maintain Russian market access, driven primarily by individual entrepreneurs with lower relocation costs than corporations. What the Data Shows: The dataset combines firm-level registrations (combined_firms_final.dta) from Kazakhstan's Bureau of National Statistics with regional indicators (controls.xlsx): 8 regions × 24 months = 192 observations. Key findings: (1) Border regions experienced 24-34 additional monthly foreign firm registrations post-March 2022 (p