The role of product variety and quality and of domestic supply in foreign trade

The study examines the behaviour of imports of goods in the Greek economy during the last five decades and their determinants, with an emphasis on consumer’s preferences for “variety and quality” of the imported goods as well as on the demand and supply conditions of these goods in the domestic market. The estimated equations provide strong evidence for the importance of these two factors for import demand, and also explain significantly the stylized facts as well as long- and short-term movements in trade.