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Gravity and heterogeneous trade cost elasticities

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  • Chen, Natalie
  • Novy, Dennis

Abstract

How do trade costs affect international trade? This paper offers a new approach. We rely on a flexible gravity equation that predicts variable trade cost elasticities, both across and within country pairs. We apply this framework to popular trade cost variables such as currency unions, trade agreements and World Trade Organization membership. While we estimate that these variables are associated with increased bilateral trade on average, we find substantial heterogeneity. Consistent with the predictions of our framework, trade cost effects are strong for 'thin' bilateral relationships characterised by small import shares, and weak or even zero for 'thick' relationships.

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  • Chen, Natalie & Novy, Dennis, 2022. "Gravity and heterogeneous trade cost elasticities," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117630, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:117630
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    4. Beniamino Quintieri & Giovanni Stamato, 2023. "Are preferential agreements beneficial to EU trade? New evidence from the EU–South Korea treaty," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(12), pages 3511-3541, December.
    5. Benjamin Jung, 2023. "The Trade Effects of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement: Heterogeneity Across Time, Country Pairs, and Directions of Trade within Country Pairs," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 617-656, July.
    6. Jung, Benjamin, 2022. "The Trade Effects of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement: Heterogeneity across Time, Country Pairs, and Directions of Trade within Country Pairs," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264125, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Erik Merkus, 2024. "Gravity Models in International Trade: A Specification Curve Analysis," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Carmen Díaz-Mora & Silviano Esteve-Pérez & Salvador Gil-Pareja & Fernando Ríos-Avila, 2024. "The EMU effect on trade: A re-assessment accounting for staggered treatment adoption," Working Papers 2407, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    9. Alessandro Nicita & Enxhi Tresa, 2022. "Trade policy and trade resilience during the 2020 trade downturn," UNCTAD Working Papers #1, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    10. Andreas M. Fischer & Dr. Pinar Yesin, 2023. "The kindness of strangers: Brexit and bilateral financial linkages," Working Papers 2023-02, Swiss National Bank.
    11. Heid, Benedikt & Stähler, Frank, 2024. "Structural gravity and the gains from trade under imperfect competition: Quantifying the effects of the European Single Market," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
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    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions

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