This paper proposes new estimation techniques for gravity models with zero trade values and heteroscedasticity. We propose various Heckman estimators with different distributions of the residuals, nonlinear forms of both selection and measure equations, and various process of the variance. We...

Over the time a large number of reciprocal preferential trade agreements (RTAs) have been concluded among countries. Recently many studies have used gravity equations in order to estimate the effect of RTAs on trade flows between partners. These studies report very different estimates, since...

For more than forty years, the gravity equation has been a workhorse for cross-country empirical analyses of international trade flows and, in particular, the effects of free trade agreements (FTAs) on trade flows. However, the gravity equation is subject to the same econometric critique as...

We challenge the common practice of estimating gravity equations with time-interval data in order to capture dynamic-adjustment effects to trade-policy changes. Instead, we point to a series of advantages of using consecutive-year data recognizing dynamic-adjustment effects. Our analysis reveals...

Low levels of infrastructure quality and quantity can create trade impediments through increased transport costs. Since the late 1990s an increasing number of trade studies have taken infrastructure into account. The purpose of the present paper is to quantify the importance of infrastructure...

The present study estimates an aggregate import demand function for the Pakistan economy during the period 1971- 2007. In this empirical analysis, previous and relatively new robust cointegration techniques like Engle Granger (1987), Johansen and Juselius (1990), and the autoregressive...

The study of Economics as a discipline of Social Sciences has attracted a significant number of cross – disciplinary researches. A lot of emphasis has been bestowed upon the applications and implementations of the universal laws and results approved by the ‘natural' disciplines of Physical...

U.S. exporters have choices when it comes to determining in which markets to sell their firms' products and services. These choices depend on several factors, including market size, income levels, price sensitivity, competition, consumer preferences, and other demand conditions in the recipient...

This paper revisits the relationship between international trade and economic growth. We measure trade openness indices separately with respect to intermediate inputs and final goods and find that it is the former which turns out to be significant in explaining growth gains from trade. Using...