IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i5p2870-d512067.html

Trade Facilitation and Non-Energy Exports of Trinidad and Tobago

Author

Listed:
  • Roger Hosein

    (Department of Economics, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Kingston 7, Trinidad and Tobago)

  • Rebecca Gookool

    (Department of Economics, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Kingston 7, Trinidad and Tobago)

  • George Saridakis

    (Kent Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7FS, UK)

Abstract

The economy of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has traditionally depended on its energy sector as a key driver of economic activity. This sector, however, has been shown to be volatile and vulnerable to global economic shocks; this is no more evident than what has been observed during the coronavirus pandemic. Oil prices have, as a result declined significantly, and this has put the economy on a path of compounded economic misfortune. The non-energy trade sector though has traditionally been identified as having more stable export earning potential and as such in adjusting to the economic nuances of the global shock associated with the coronavirus pandemic, there is an opportunity for policy makers to reconsider the role of the non-energy sector. This paper provides an overview of trade facilitation policy considerations to boost the outcomes of the non-energy sector. We find that factors such as language, port infrastructure liner connectivity and customs impact on export performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Roger Hosein & Rebecca Gookool & George Saridakis, 2021. "Trade Facilitation and Non-Energy Exports of Trinidad and Tobago," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2870-:d:512067
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2870/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2870/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Debaere, Peter & Mostashari, Shalah, 2005. "Do Tariffs Matter for the Extensive Margin of International Trade? An Empirical Analysis," CEPR Discussion Papers 5260, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Hoekman, Bernard & Nicita, Alessandro, 2011. "Trade Policy, Trade Costs, and Developing Country Trade," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2069-2079.
    3. By Michael Funke & Ralf Ruhwedel, 2001. "Product Variety and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence for the OECD Countries," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 48(2), pages 1-1.
    4. Dennis Novy, 2013. "Gravity Redux: Measuring International Trade Costs With Panel Data," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 51(1), pages 101-121, January.
    5. Simeon Djankov & Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 2002. "The Regulation of Entry," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 1-37.
    6. Allen Dennis & Ben Shepherd, 2011. "Trade Facilitation and Export Diversification," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 101-122, January.
    7. John S. Wilson & Catherine L. Mann & Tsunehiro Otsuki, 2005. "Assessing The Potential Benefit Of Trade Facilitation: A Global Perspective," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Philippa Dee & Michael Ferrantino (ed.), Quantitative Methods For Assessing The Effects Of Non-Tariff Measures And Trade Facilitation, chapter 8, pages 121-160, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Jean Imbs & Romain Wacziarg, 2003. "Stages of Diversification," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 63-86, March.
    9. Hamid Alavi, 2004. "Good Practice in Trade Facilitation : Lessons from Tunisia," World Bank Publications - Reports 11266, The World Bank Group.
    10. Indar, Delena, 2019. "National energy efficiency monitoring report of Trinidad and Tobago," Documentos de Proyectos 45051, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    11. Jean-François Arvis & Yann Duval & Ben Shepherd & Chorthip Utoktham, 2012. "Trade Costs in the Developing World:1995 – 2010," Working Papers 12112, Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), an initiative of UNESCAP and IDRC, Canada..
    12. Ben Shepherd, 2009. "Enhancing export diversification through trade facilitation," ARTNeT Policy Briefs 19, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
    13. Persson, Maria, 2008. "Trade Facilitation and the Extensive and Intensive Margins of Trade," Working Papers 2008:13, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    14. Javier López González & Silvia Sorescu, 2019. "Helping SMEs internationalise through trade facilitation," OECD Trade Policy Papers 229, OECD Publishing.
    15. Beverelli, Cosimo & Neumueller, Simon & Teh, Robert, 2015. "Export Diversification Effects of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 293-310.
    16. Syed Saifuddin Hossain & Md. Tariqur Rahman, 2011. "Facilitating Trade through Simplification of Trade Processes and Procedures in Bangladesh," Working Papers 9311, Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), an initiative of UNESCAP and IDRC, Canada..
    17. Jacks, David S. & Meissner, Christopher M. & Novy, Dennis, 2011. "Trade booms, trade busts, and trade costs," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 185-201, March.
    18. Feenstra, Robert & Kee, Hiau Looi, 2008. "Export variety and country productivity: Estimating the monopolistic competition model with endogenous productivity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 500-518, March.
    19. Rodrik, Dani, 2012. "The Globalization Paradox: Why Global Markets, States, and Democracy Can't Coexist," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199652525.
    20. repec:ecr:col013:38946 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Valeska V. Geldres-Weiss & Nathaniel P. Massa & Joaquín Monreal-Pérez, 2021. "Export Promotion Agencies’ Lived Turmoil, Response and Strategies in COVID-19 Times," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-24, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Trade costs and tax transition reform in developing countries," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 941-977, October.
    2. Dennis, Allen & Shepherd, Ben, 2007. "Trade costs, barriers to entry, and export diversification in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4368, The World Bank.
    3. Mora, Jesse & Olabisi, Michael, 2023. "Economic development and export diversification: The role of trade costs," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 102-118.
    4. Tim Vogel, 2025. "Combining the pieces: identifying key determinants of export diversification in Africa amidst model uncertainty," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 161(1), pages 257-307, February.
    5. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2025. "Effect of Special and Differential Treatment Flexibilities in WTO Rules on Trade Reforms, Manufactured Exports and Export Upgrading in the Least Developed Countries," EconStor Preprints 313359, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of the duration of membership in the World Trade Organization on Trademark Applications," EconStor Preprints 253266, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    7. Sèna K. Gnangnon, 2021. "Aid for Trade and services export diversification in recipient countries," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(2), pages 189-225, June.
    8. Festus Ebo Turkson, 2011. "Logistics and Bilateral Exports in Developing Countries: A Multiplicative Form Estimation of the Logistics Augmented Gravity Equation," Discussion Papers 11/06, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
    9. Hendy, Rana & Zaki, Chahir, 2021. "Trade facilitation and firms exports: Evidence from customs data," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 197-209.
    10. Julio Vicente Cateia & Luc Savard & Edivo Oliveira de Almeida & William Barbosa, 2022. "Informality, Trade Facilitation, and Trade Flows: Evidence from Guinea-Bissau," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(11), pages 1-21, November.
    11. Persson, Maria, 2008. "Trade Facilitation and the Extensive and Intensive Margins of Trade," Working Papers 2008:13, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    12. Yann Duval & Chorthip Utoktham, 2011. "Trade costs in the India-Mekong Subregion: Identifying Policy Priorities for Trade Facilitation," Working Paper Series 411, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
    13. Hang Zheng & Jian Han & Yiqun Liu, 2024. "Authorized economic operator certification and export stability: Evidence from China's firms," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1174-1203, August.
    14. Mitik, Lulit & Decaluwé, Bernard, 2008. "The impact of trade on female labor and girls’ education in South Africa: a CGE analysis," Conference papers 331785, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    15. Majbritt Greve & Michael Wendelboe Hansen, 2024. "The role of shipping and logistics MNCs in economic development: a case study of how Maersk contributed to Vietnam’s ascendence to an export oriented economy," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-30, December.
    16. Young Ademola & Ogbaro Eyitayo & Ologundudu Mojeed, 2025. "The Complementarity Effect of Intensive and Extensive Margins of Exports Diversification on Growth: Empirical Evidence from Nigerian Data," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 25(1), pages 354-374.
    17. Bernard Hoekman & Ben Shepherd, 2015. "Who profits from trade facilitation initiatives? Implications for African countries," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 51-70, March.
    18. Manouchehr Barjesteh Maleki & Hamed Samarghandi & Joel Bruneau, 2025. "The Effect of CUSFTA and NAFTA on Canada’s Export Composition," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-35, December.
    19. Jan Van Hove, 2010. "Variety and quality in intra‐European manufacturing trade: the impact of innovation and technological spillovers," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 43-59.
    20. Diego Andrés Peñaranda Molina, 2021. "Determinantes de la diversificación de exportaciones en Sudamérica: un análisis con datos de panel," Documentos de trabajo 3/2021, Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2870-:d:512067. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.