Document Type : ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Authors
1 PhD Student, Department of Economics, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Management, Mobarekeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mobarekeh, Iran
Abstract
Recent studies on complex networks in international trade show the number of partners; trade intensity, indirect trade connections and the central position of each partner in the trade network have significant effects on economic growth. The network analysis approach in investigating the effect of trade on economic growth, unlike conventional methods, can identify and measure indirect trade relations (intermediary countries in trade) in international interactions. This research aims to investigate world trade centrality indicators’ effects on economic growth using panel data of 42 chosen countries of Asia and CIS, in two steps. At first, the weighted directional matrices of trade was made and then the centrality indices of the countries were calculated for the selected years according to a complex network approach. Then the effect of the aforementioned indices as an explanatory variable of trade on economic growth has been investigated, and these were compared with the effect of the trade openness index.The results of the research show that compared to the conventional indicator of the trade openness index, the centrality indicators of the world trade network show a better explanation of economic growth while having more effect. Among these, the closeness centrality (due to having a core role in the network and the entanglement of trade relations) and the eigenvector centrality (due to establishing relationships with countries that are connected with important partners in the network) have more effects on economic growth.
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