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Death of distance and the distance puzzle

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  • Lin, Faqin
  • Sim, Nicholas C.S.

Abstract

Despite the onset of globalization, year-by-year cross-country regressions of the gravity model usually suggest that the impediment of geographical distance on bilateral trade is rising, and not declining, over time. This effect of distance is dubbed the distance puzzle. In this paper, we argue that prima facie evidence of the distance effect from the year-by-year regressions may not be a good indicator of the true impact of distance on trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Faqin & Sim, Nicholas C.S., 2012. "Death of distance and the distance puzzle," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 225-228.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:116:y:2012:i:2:p:225-228
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2012.03.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2003. "Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 170-192, March.
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    7. Anne-Célia Disdier & Keith Head, 2008. "The Puzzling Persistence of the Distance Effect on Bilateral Trade," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(1), pages 37-48, February.
    8. Jacks, David S., 2009. "On the death of distance and borders: Evidence from the nineteenth century," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 230-233, December.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chiarucci, Riccardo & Ruzzenenti, Franco & Loffredo, Maria I., 2014. "Detecting spatial homogeneity in the World Trade Web with Detrended Fluctuation Analysis," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 401(C), pages 1-7.
    2. Wang, Hao & Han, Yonghui & Fidrmuc, Jan & Wei, Dongming, 2021. "Confucius Institute, Belt and Road Initiative, and Internationalization," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 237-256.
    3. Anderson, James E. & Yotov, Yoto V., 2020. "Short run gravity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    4. Borchert, Ingo & Yotov, Yoto V., 2017. "Distance, globalization, and international trade," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 32-38.
    5. Mandal, Biswajit, 2024. "Digital Mobility of Financial Capital Across Different Time Zones, Factor Prices and Sectoral Composition," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1371, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Orestis VRAVOSINOS, 2017. "On the life and death of distance," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(1(610), S), pages 207-214, Spring.
    7. Orestis VRAVOSINOS, 2017. "On the life and death of distance," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(1(610), S), pages 207-214, Spring.
    8. Scott L. Baier & Amanda Kerr & Yoto V. Yotov, 2018. "Gravity, distance, and international trade," Chapters, in: Bruce A. Blonigen & Wesley W. Wilson (ed.), Handbook of International Trade and Transportation, chapter 2, pages 15-78, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Juyoung Cheong & Do Won Kwak & Kam Ki Tang, 2016. "The distance effects on the intensive and extensive margins of trade over time," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 253-278, March.
    10. Brei, Michael & von Peter, Goetz, 2018. "The distance effect in banking and trade," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 116-137.
    11. Piermartini, Roberta & Yotov, Yoto, 2016. "Estimating Trade Policy Effects with Structural Gravity," School of Economics Working Paper Series 2016-10, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University.
    12. Benedikt Heid & Wenxi Lu, 2022. "Genetic distance, cultural differences, and the formation of regional trade agreements," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(1), pages 1-23, February.
    13. Riccardo Chiarucci & Franco Ruzzenenti & Maria I. Loffredo, 2013. "Detecting spatial homogeneity in the world trade web with Detrended Fluctuation Analysis," Papers 1308.0526, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2013.
    14. Clément Bosquet & Hervé Boulhol, 2015. "What is really puzzling about the “distance puzzle”," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 151(1), pages 1-21, February.
    15. Samuel Standaert & Stijn Ronsse & Benjamin Vandermarliere, 2014. "Historical trade integration: Globalization and the distance puzzle in the long 20th century," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 14/897, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    16. Lin, Faqin, 2013. "Are distance effects really a puzzle?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 684-689.
    17. Zongning Wu & Hongbo Cai & Ruining Zhao & Ying Fan & Zengru Di & Jiang Zhang, 2020. "A Topological Analysis of Trade Distance: Evidence from the Gravity Model and Complex Flow Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, April.
    18. Bassem Kahouli & Anis Omri & Anissa Chaibi, 2014. "Environmental Regulations, Trade, and Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from Gravity Equations," Working Papers 2014-189, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    19. Kahouli, Bassem & Omri, Anis, 2017. "Foreign direct investment, foreign trade and environment: New evidence from simultaneous-equation system of gravity models," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 353-364.
    20. Yotov, Yoto V., 2012. "A simple solution to the distance puzzle in international trade," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 794-798.
    21. Tianbo Wu & Bin Zhang & Yukun Cao & Pingjun Sun, 2020. "Impact of Multi-Dimensional and Dynamic Distance on China’s Exports of Wooden Forest Products to Countries along the “Belt and Road”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-12, April.
    22. Hejazi, Mina & Grant, Jason H. & Peterson, Everett, 2017. "Tariff Changes and the Margins of Trade: A Case Study of U.S. Agri-Food Imports," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 42(1), pages 1-22, January.
    23. David Buehler & Roger White, 2015. "A simple solution to the distance puzzle: balanced data and Poisson estimation," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(7), pages 587-592, May.
    24. Yoto V. Yotov, 2022. "On the role of domestic trade flows for estimating the gravity model of trade," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(3), pages 526-540, July.

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    2. Juyoung Cheong & Do Won Kwak & Kam Ki Tang, 2016. "The distance effects on the intensive and extensive margins of trade over time," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 253-278, March.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Distance puzzle; Year-by-year regression; Extensive margin; Intensive margin;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F40 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - General

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