Trade and Economic Growth: A Re-Examination of the Empirical Evidence

Abstract

While trade integration is often regarded as a principal determinant of economic growth, the empirical evidence for a causal linkage between trade and growth is ambiguous. This paper argues that the effect of trade in dynamic panel estimations depends crucially on the specification of trade. Both from a theoretical as well as an empirical point of view one specification is preferred: the volume of exports and imports as a share of lagged total GDP. For this trade measure, a positive and highly significant impact on economic growth can be found.

Keywords: Openness, Trade, Growth

JEL Classification: F11, F43, C23