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Effects of Foreign Aid on Income through International Trade

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  • Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso

    (Department of Economics, University of Goettingen, Germany / Institute of International Economics, University Jaume I, Spain)

Abstract

This article presents a review of recent studies that estimate the trade effects of foreign aid. It also provides new results obtained using panel data techniques to estimate the direct effects of aid on international trade accounting for countries’ participation in free trade agreements, and the indirect effects that aid exerts on income through trade. A structural gravity model of trade augmented with aid and free trade agreement variables is estimated for a cross-section of 33 donor countries and 125 recipient countries over the period 1995 to 2016. In a second step, the indirect effect of aid on income is estimated using a control function approach and instrumental variable techniques. The main results indicate that development aid has a robust direct effect on donor exports (the effect on recipient exports, however, is not robust). It also has an indirect positive effect on income levels in the recipient countries. The effects are heterogeneous and vary by region.

Suggested Citation

  • Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso, 2019. "Effects of Foreign Aid on Income through International Trade," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 29-52.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v:7:y:2019:i:2:p:29-52
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    2. Muhammad Athar Nadeem & Zhiying Liu & Haji Suleman Ali & Amna Younis & Muhammad Bilal & Yi Xu, 2020. "Innovation and Sustainable Development: Does Aid and Political Instability Impede Innovation?," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(4), pages 21582440209, November.
    3. Nimonka Bayale & Brigitte Kanga Kouassi, 2022. "The Devil is in the Details: On the Robust Determinants of Development Aid in G5 Sahel Countries," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 64(4), pages 646-680, December.
    4. Raymond Kofi Adjei & Veronika Kajurová, 2021. "What Affects Income in Sub-Saharan Africa?," European Journal of Business Science and Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Business and Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 223-237.

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