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Exports, imports and growth

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  • Pistoresi, Barbara
  • Rinaldi, Alberto

Abstract

The nexus between trade and economic growth in Italy has been widely debated by historiography. However, there are no long run analyses on this topic that cover the whole span from Unification to present days. This paper contributes to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between real exports, imports and GDP in Italy from 1863 to 2004 by using cointegration analysis and causality tests. The outcome suggests that these variables comove in the long run but the direction of causality varies across time. In the period prior to the First World War import growth led GDP growth that in turn led export growth. Conversely, in the post-Second World War period we have a strong bidirectionality between imports and exports consequent on the increase in intra-industry trade. We also find a weak support for export-led growth and growth-led imports. This suggests that exports were not the only or the main driver of economic growth. There was probably a multiplicity of factors at work, among which high rates of capital formation and the expansion of internal demand probably stood out.

Suggested Citation

  • Pistoresi, Barbara & Rinaldi, Alberto, 2012. "Exports, imports and growth," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 241-254.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:49:y:2012:i:2:p:241-254
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2011.11.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Madalina-Gabriela ANGHEL & Constantin ANGHELACHE & Doina AVRAM & Doina BUREA, 2017. "Foreign Direct Investment As An Accumulated Share Of National Wealth," Romanian Statistical Review Supplement, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 65(10), pages 37-46, October.
    2. Constantin ANGHELACHE & Ștefan Virgil IACOB & Dana Luiza GRIGORESCU, 2020. "The analysis of the quarterly evolution of the gross domestic product in 2019," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(1(622), S), pages 171-182, Spring.
    3. Ioanna Konstantakopoulou, 2016. "New evidence on the Export-led-growth hypothesis in the Southern Euro-zone countries (1960-2014)," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(1), pages 429-439.
    4. Bajo-Rubio, Oscar, 2020. "Exports and long-run growth: The case of Spain, 1850-2017," GLO Discussion Paper Series 461, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Bibhuti Ranjan Mishra, 2020. "Role of External and Domestic Demand in Economic Growth: A Study of BRICS Countries," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 21(2), pages 547-566, April.
    6. Constantin ANGHELACHE & Alexandru MANOLE & Mădălina-Gabriela ANGHEL, 2017. "Macroeconomic models used in structural analysis of GDP," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(1(610), S), pages 197-206, Spring.
    7. You-How Go & Lin-Sea Lau & Kwang-Jing Yii & Wee-Yeap Lau, 2020. "Does energy efficiency affect economic growth? Evidence from aggregate and disaggregate levels," Energy & Environment, , vol. 31(6), pages 983-1006, September.
    8. Ioanna Konstantakopoulou, 2017. "The aggregate exports-GDP relation under the prism of infrequent trend breaks and multi-horizon causality," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 661-689, October.
    9. Constantin ANGHELACHE & Alexandru MANOLE & Mădălina-Gabriela ANGHEL, 2017. "Macroeconomic models used in structural analysis of GDP," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(1(610), S), pages 197-206, Spring.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade; Economic growth; Italy; Unit root tests; Cointegration analysis; Granger-causality;

    JEL classification:

    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • N1 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations
    • N7 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services

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