Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Statistics
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login

Gravity redux: measuring international trade costs with panel data

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Novy, Dennis (2009) Gravity redux: measuring international trade costs with panel data. Working Paper. Coventry: University of Warwick, Department of Economics. (Warwick economic research papers.

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP_Novy_twerp_861a.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader

Download (262Kb)
Official URL: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/resear...

Abstract

Barriers to international trade are known to be large. But have they become smaller over time? Building on the gravity framework by Anderson and van Wincoop (2003), I derive an analytical solution for time-varying multilateral resistance variables that can be related to observable trade data. This solution makes it possible to infer time-varying bilateral trade costs directly from the model.s gravity equation without imposing arbitrary trade cost functions. As an illustration, I show that U.S. trade costs with major trading partners declined on average by about 40 percent between 1970 and 2000, with Mexico and Canada experiencing the biggest reductions.

Item Type: Working or Discussion Paper (Working Paper)
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): International trade, Panel analysis, Costs, Industrial, United States -- Foreign economic relations -- Mexico, Mexico -- Foreign economic relations -- United States
Series Name: Warwick economic research papers
Publisher: University of Warwick, Department of Economics
Place of Publication: Coventry
Date: July 2009
Number: No.861
Number of Pages: 27
Status: Not Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
Description: Originally published November 2008, this version updated July 2009.
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Grant number: RES-000-22-3112 (ESRC)
Related URLs:
  • http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/econom...
  • Related item in WRAP
References: Anderson, J., 1979. A Theoretical Foundation for the Gravity Equation. American Economic Review 69, pp. 106-116. Anderson, J., Marcouiller, D., 2002. Insecurity and the Pattern of Trade: An Empirical Inves- tigation. Review of Economics and Statistics 84, pp. 342-352. Anderson, J., van Wincoop, E., 2003. Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle. American Economic Review 93, pp. 170-192. Anderson, J., van Wincoop, E., 2004. Trade Costs. Journal of Economic Literature 42, pp. 691-751. Baier, S., Bergstrand, J., 2001. The Growth of World Trade: Tari¤s, Transport Costs, and Income Similarity. Journal of International Economics 53, pp. 1-27. Baier, S., Bergstrand, J., 2009. Bonus Vetus OLS: A Simple Method for Approximating Inter- national Trade-Cost E¤ects Using the Gravity Equation. Journal of International Economics 77, pp. 77-85. Baldwin, R., Forslid, R., Martin, P., Ottaviano, G., Robert-Nicoud, F., 2003. The Core- Periphery Model: Key Features and E¤ects. In: The Monopolistic Competition Revolution in Retrospect, edited by S. Brakman and B. Heijdra, Cambridge University Press. Balistreri, E., Hillberry, R., 2007. Structural Estimation and the Border Puzzle. Journal of International Economics 72, pp. 451-463. Broda, C., Weinstein, D., 2006. Globalization and the Gains from Variety. Quarterly Journal of Economics 121, pp. 541-585. Chaney, T., 2008. Distorted Gravity: The Intensive and Extensive Margins of International Trade. American Economic Review 98, pp. 1707-1721. Chen, N., Novy, D., 2008. International Trade Integration: A Disaggregated Approach. CEPR Discussion Paper #7103. Combes, P., Lafourcade, M., 2005. Transport Costs: Measures, Determinants, and Regional Policy Implications for France. Journal of Economic Geography 5, pp. 319-349. Deardor¤, A., 1998. Determinants of Bilateral Trade: Does Gravity Work in a Neoclassical World? In: The Regionalization of the World Economy, edited by J. Frankel, University of Chicago Press, pp. 7-22. Debaere, P., 2005. Monopolistic Competition and Trade, Revisited: Testing the Model without Testing for Gravity. Journal of International Economics 66, pp. 249-266. Del Gatto, M., Mion, G., Ottaviano, G., 2007. Trade Integration, Firm Selection and the Costs of Non-Europe. Mimeo. Anderson, J., 1979. A Theoretical Foundation for the Gravity Equation. American Economic Review 69, pp. 106-116. Anderson, J., Marcouiller, D., 2002. Insecurity and the Pattern of Trade: An Empirical Inves- tigation. Review of Economics and Statistics 84, pp. 342-352. Anderson, J., van Wincoop, E., 2003. Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle. American Economic Review 93, pp. 170-192. Anderson, J., van Wincoop, E., 2004. Trade Costs. Journal of Economic Literature 42, pp. 691-751. Baier, S., Bergstrand, J., 2001. The Growth of World Trade: Tari¤s, Transport Costs, and Income Similarity. Journal of International Economics 53, pp. 1-27. Baier, S., Bergstrand, J., 2009. Bonus Vetus OLS: A Simple Method for Approximating Inter- national Trade-Cost E¤ects Using the Gravity Equation. Journal of International Economics 77, pp. 77-85. Baldwin, R., Forslid, R., Martin, P., Ottaviano, G., Robert-Nicoud, F., 2003. The Core- Periphery Model: Key Features and E¤ects. In: The Monopolistic Competition Revolution in Retrospect, edited by S. Brakman and B. Heijdra, Cambridge University Press. Balistreri, E., Hillberry, R., 2007. Structural Estimation and the Border Puzzle. Journal of International Economics 72, pp. 451-463. Broda, C., Weinstein, D., 2006. Globalization and the Gains from Variety. Quarterly Journal of Economics 121, pp. 541-585. Chaney, T., 2008. Distorted Gravity: The Intensive and Extensive Margins of International Trade. American Economic Review 98, pp. 1707-1721. Chen, N., Novy, D., 2008. International Trade Integration: A Disaggregated Approach. CEPR Discussion Paper #7103. Combes, P., Lafourcade, M., 2005. Transport Costs: Measures, Determinants, and Regional Policy Implications for France. Journal of Economic Geography 5, pp. 319-349. Deardor¤, A., 1998. Determinants of Bilateral Trade: Does Gravity Work in a Neoclassical World? In: The Regionalization of the World Economy, edited by J. Frankel, University of Chicago Press, pp. 7-22. Debaere, P., 2005. Monopolistic Competition and Trade, Revisited: Testing the Model without Testing for Gravity. Journal of International Economics 66, pp. 249-266. Del Gatto, M., Mion, G., Ottaviano, G., 2007. Trade Integration, Firm Selection and the Costs of Non-Europe. Mimeo. Eaton, J., Kortum, S., 2002. Technology, Geography and Trade. Econometrica 70, pp. 1741- 1779. Evenett, S., Keller, W., 2002. On Theories Explaining the Success of the Gravity Equation. Journal of Political Economy 110, pp. 281-316. Feenstra, R., 1994. New Product Varieties and the Measurement of International Prices. Amer- ican Economic Review 84, pp. 157-177. Feenstra, R., 2004. Advanced International Trade �Theory and Evidence. Princeton University Press. Feenstra, R., Markusen, J., Rose, A., 2001. Using the Gravity Equation to Di¤erentiate among Alternative Theories of Trade. Canadian Journal of Economics 34, pp. 430-447. Fujita, M., Krugman, P., Venables, A., 1999. The Spatial Economy � Cities, Regions, and International Trade. MIT Press. Grossman, G., 1998. Comment. In: The Regionalization of the World Economy, edited by J. Frankel, University of Chicago Press, pp. 29-31. Head, K., Mayer, T., 2004. The Empirics of Agglomeration and Trade. In: Handbook of Re- gional and Urban Economics: Cities and Geography, Volume 4, North-Holland. Head, K., Mayer, T., Ries, J., 2008. The Erosion of Colonial Trade Linkages after Independence. CEPR Discussion Paper #6951. Head, K., Ries, J., 2001. Increasing Returns versus National Product Di¤erentiation as an Explanation for the Pattern of U.S.-Canada Trade. American Economic Review 91, pp. 858- 876. Helliwell, J., 2005. Borders, Common Currencies, Trade, and Welfare: What Can We Learn from the Evidence? Bank of Canada Review, Spring, pp. 19-33. Helpman, E., 1987. Imperfect Competition and International Trade: Evidence from Fourteen Industrial Countries. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies 1, pp. 62-81. Helpman, E., Melitz, M., Rubinstein, Y., 2008. Estimating Trade Flows: Trading Partners and Trading Volumes. Quarterly Journal of Economics 123, pp. 441-487. Helpman, E., Melitz, M., Yeaple, S., 2004. Export versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms. American Economic Review 94, pp. 300-316. Hummels, D., 2007. Transportation Costs and International Trade in the Second Era of Glob- alization. Journal of Economic Perspectives 21, pp. 131-154. Hummels, D., Levinsohn, J., 1995. Monopolistic Competition and International Trade: Recon- sidering the Evidence. Quarterly Journal of Economics 110, pp. 799-836. Jacks, D., Meissner, C., Novy, D., 2008. Trade Costs, 1870-2000. American Economic Review 98, Papers & Proceedings, pp. 529-534. Kee, H., Nicita, A., Olarreaga, M., 2009. Estimating Trade Restrictiveness Indices. Economic Journal 119, pp. 172-199. Krugman, P., 1980. Scale Economies, Product Di¤erentiation and the Pattern of Trade. Amer- ican Economic Review 70, pp. 950-959. Limão, N., Venables, A., 2001. Infrastructure, Geographical Disadvantage, Transport Costs and Trade. World Bank Economic Review 15, pp. 451-479. Melitz, M., 2003. The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity. Econometrica 71, pp. 1695-1725. Melitz, M., Ottaviano, G., 2008. Market Size, Trade, and Productivity. Review of Economic Studies 75, pp. 295-316. Nitsch, V., 2000. National Borders and International Trade: Evidence from the European Union. Canadian Journal of Economics 33, pp. 1091-1105. Novy, D., 2007. Is the Iceberg Melting Less Quickly? International Trade Costs after World War II. Mimeo, University of Warwick. Portes, R., Rey, H., 2005. The Determinants of Cross-Border Equity Flows. Journal of Inter- national Economics 65, pp. 269-296. Samuelson, P., 1954. The Transfer Problem and Transport Costs: Analysis of E¤ects of Trade Impediments. Economic Journal 64, pp. 264-289. Santos Silva, J., Tenreyro, S., 2006. The Log of Gravity. Review of Economics and Statistics 88, pp. 641-658. Tre�er, D., 1995. The Case of the Missing Trade and Other Mysteries. American Economic Review 85, pp. 1029-1046. Wei, S., 1996. Intra-National versus International Trade: How Stubborn are Nations in Global Integration? NBER Working Paper #5531. Whalley, J., Xin, X., 2009. Regionalization, Changes in Home Bias, and the Growth of World Trade. Journal of Policy Modeling, forthcoming.
URI: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/1355

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Document Downloads

More statistics for this item...
twitter

Email us: publications@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us