I investigate the determinants of business cycles synchronization, across regions and over time. I use both international and intranational data to evaluate the linkages between trade in goods, trade in ...nancial assets, specialization and business cycles synchronization in the context of a system of simultaneous equations. In all speci...cations, the results are as follows. (i) Simultaneity i...

This paper explores the relationship between economic openness and income per person using crosscountry data. To address endogeneity concerns we extend the instrumental-variables strategy first used by Frankel and Romer (1999). First, we show that bilateral geographic characteristics of countries such as distance, contiguity and commonality of language are successful in predicting openness to i...

I investigate the determinants of business cycles synchronization, across regions and over time. I use both international and intranational data to evaluate the linkages between trade in goods, trade in ...nancial assets, specialization and business cycles synchronization in the context of a system of simultaneous equations. In all speci...cations, the results are as follows. (i) Simultaneity i...

Does religious freedom steer economic growth impact of trade-openness? This paper employs the method moments-quantile regression to panel data 117 developed and developing countries show that accommodate greater liberal beliefs enjoy, on average, higher in per capita income via deeper trade openness. Empirical results reveal dynamic nexus between across is subject institutional environment. The...

We study whether financial openness facilitates the economic integration of formerly centrally planned economies with the EU-15. Two dimensions of economic integration are considered: cross-country convergence of per-capita incomes and bilateral trade in goods and services. We find that more financially open economies effectively catch-up faster and trade more with the EU-15. These integration-...

This paper provides evidence for a significant relation between international financial markets’ integration and output volatility. In the framework of a threshold model, it is shown empirically that this relation depends on country’s financial risk. Financial risk indicates a country’s ability to pay its official, commercial and trade debts. In countries with low financial risk, financial open...

A debate has long existed on the relationships between human population, natural resources, and development. Recent research has expanded this debate to include the impacts of trade; specifically, virtual water trade, or the water footprint of traded commodities. We conduct an empirical analysis of the relationships between virtual water trade, population, and development in Africa. We find tha...

CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment (CUTS CITEE), Jaipur, organised a National Conference entitled ‘Towards a Coherent Trade and Development Strategy of India’ at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 24-25 July 2008. The event discussed important issues such as the need for mainstreaming international trade into the national development strategy of India, how the co...

This paper examines time series evidence to establish a link between trade, economic growth and income inequality in Bangladesh. The empirical results from a Vector Autoregression (VAR) model suggest that there is some evidence of trade liberalization accelerating growth in Bangladesh. Trade openness promotes investment. We find little evidence of trade affecting income distribution or of incom...