Energy Consumption, Trade and GDP: A Case Study of South Asian Countries

Using panel co-integration approach over the period 1980-2009 for South Asian economies, this study investigates the dynamic linkages between energy consumption, trade and GDP. The results show that, in the short run, feedback relationship holds between energy consumption and GDP and between energy consumption and exports. In the long run, the feedback relation holds between energy and GDP while unidirectional causality holds from export to energy. Thus, feedback hypothesis between energy and GDP holds in the short as well as in the long run. The feedback relationship between trade and energy consumption suggests that any shortage of energy supply will lessen the trade and this reductions in trade will lessen the benefits of trade in the region since results have also shown that reduction in export can impede GDP growth.