What Determines Bilateral Trade Flows? / Marianne Baxter, Michael A. Kouparitsas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baxter, Marianne.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Kouparitsas, Michael A.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w12188.

NBER working paper series no. w12188

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2006.

Summary:

This paper undertakes an exhaustive search for robust determinants of international trade, where "robustness" is tested using three popular empirical methods. The paper is frankly atheoretical: our goal is solely to establish statistically robust relationships. Along the way, however, we relate our results to the empirical results obtained by prior researchers and to the received theory of international trade. We find that robust variables include a measure of the scale of factor endowments; fixed exchange rates; the level of development; and current account restrictions. Variables that are robust under certain methods and sample periods include exchange rate volatility, an index of sectoral similarity, and currency union. However, the estimated coefficient n currency union is much smaller than estimates obtained by prior researchers.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2006.