The gravity model is a workhorse tool that has been widely used in international trade. However, one empirical question that frequently arises is related to the conceptualization and measurement of distance. To overcome this limitation, our study proposes an index of distance based on...

This paper investigates whether the relatedness of populations across the world shapes international trade flows. Using data on common ancestry for 172 countries covering more than 99% of global trade, we document that country pairs with a larger ancestral distance are less likely to trade with...

Using a novel common econometric specification, we examine the measurement of three important effects in international trade that historically have been addressed largely separately: the (partial) effects on trade of economic integration agreements, national borders, and bilateral distance....