Exports, export composition and growth

Abstract

The relationship between trade and growth has been central to development economics with particular emphasis on the export-growth dynamic. The current paper is in the tradition of this literature but develops two new strands. First, it examines the exports-growth link in a dynamic fashion, providing a more rigorous approach than has been attempted previously. Second it explores the role of export composition in determining growth performance. By constructing a panel of 69 countries and using the dynamic model, the results generated suggest that there is a strong positive relationship between exports and growth. Further, it is apparent that the composition of those exports is important in determining the strength of growth.