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Roads and trade in Colombia

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  • Duranton, Gilles

Abstract

I estimate the effect of major roads within and between cities on the level and composition of trade for Colombian cities. I confirm that road distance between cities is a major impediment to trade. In addition, major roads within cities have a large effect on a city׳s exports and imports with an elasticity of approximately 0.20 estimated with ols and up to 0.50 with iv. If anything, the effects are stronger for the value than for the weight of exports. I interpret these results as city roads shifting economic activity in cities towards the production of tradable and somewhat lighter goods.

Suggested Citation

  • Duranton, Gilles, 2015. "Roads and trade in Colombia," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 16-36.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecotra:v:4:y:2015:i:1:p:16-36
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecotra.2014.11.003
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    6. Anna Bottasso & Maurizio Conti & Simone Robbiano & Marta Santagata, 2022. "Roads to innovation: Evidence from Italy," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(4), pages 981-1005, September.
    7. Kamal, Fariha & Sundaram, Asha, 2019. "Do institutions determine economic Geography? Evidence from the concentration of foreign suppliers," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 89-101.
    8. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio & Santagata, Marta, 2022. "Transport Infrastructure and Trade: A Survey of the Empirical Literature," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 75(4), pages 447-464.
    9. Nicholas Sheard, 2021. "The network of US airports and its effects on employment," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 623-648, June.
    10. Brian Blankespoor & M Shahe Emran & Forhad Shilpi & Lu Xu, 2022. "Bridge to bigpush or backwash? Market integration, reallocation and productivity effects of Jamuna Bridge in Bangladesh [Agricultural technology choice and transport]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(4), pages 853-871.
    11. Raúl Alberto Cortés-Villafradez & Nicolas de la Peña-Cárdenas, 2019. "Analysis of transport infrastructure development and competitiveness in the member countries of the Pacific Alliance (2007-2016)," Revista Finanzas y Politica Economica, Universidad Católica de Colombia, vol. 11(2), pages 277-297, November.
    12. Branco, Catarina & Dohse, Dirk C. & Pereira dos Santos, João & Tavares, José, 2023. "Nobody’s gonna slow me down? The effects of a transportation cost shock on firm performance and behavior," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 273314, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    13. Leopoldo Fergusson & Tatiana Hiller & Ana Maria Ibañez, 2020. "Growth and inclusion trajectories of Colombian functional territories," Sobre México. Revista de Economía, Sobre México. Temas en economía, vol. 1(1), pages 79-125.
    14. Holl, Adelheid, 2016. "Highways and productivity in manufacturing firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 131-151.
    15. Barzin, Samira & D'Costa, Sabine & Graham, Daniel J., 2018. "A pseudo – panel approach to estimating dynamic effects of road infrastructure on firm performance in a developing country context," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 20-34.
    16. Lee, Jae Kwang, 2021. "Transport infrastructure investment, accessibility change and firm productivity: Evidence from the Seoul region," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    17. Shadrack Muthami Mwatu, 2023. "Determinants of gendered participation in domestic trade: evidence from Kenya," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    18. Cosar,Ahmet Kerem, 2022. "Overland Transport Costs : A Review," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10156, The World Bank.
    19. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio & de Sa Porto, Paulo Costacurta & Ferrari, Claudio & Tei, Alessio, 2018. "Port infrastructures and trade: Empirical evidence from Brazil," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 126-139.
    20. Samira Barzin & Sabine D'Costa & Daniel Graham, 2016. "A Pseudo-Panel Approach to Estimating Dynamic Effects of Road Infrastructure Provision on Firm Performance in a Developing Country Context," Working Papers 69, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    21. Marta Santagata, 2022. "Roads and intra‐national trade: Evidence from Italian regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(6), pages 1383-1409, December.
    22. Feng, Xiao & Wang, Yongjin & Zhao, Laixun, 2022. "Export capacity constraints and distortions," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    23. Gáfaro, Margarita & Pellegrina, Heitor S., 2022. "Trade, farmers’ heterogeneity, and agricultural productivity: Evidence from Colombia," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    24. Margarita Gafaro & Heitor S. Pellegrina, 2018. "Market access, agricultural productivity and selection into trade: evidence from Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1050, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    25. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio & Costacurta de Sa Porto, Paulo & Ferrari, Claudio & Tei, Alessio, 2021. "Roads to growth: The Brazilian way," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

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