Bangladesh-India bilateral trade: causes of imbalance and measures for improvement

[Abstract]: Currently India is the 2nd largest trading partner of Bangladesh, and India’s position is at the top for Bangladesh’s imports trade. So the study underscores the trend, structure and current picture of Bangladesh-India trade. Bangladesh’s trade with India increased tremendously especially in the 1990s. The average annual growth rates of Bangladesh’s trade with India, during 1980 to 1995, were much higher than those with the SAARC and the world. However, Bangladesh has always been trade deficit with India, and recently it has increased exponentially. Limited export base, backward industries, inadequate infrastructure, lower productivity in Bangladesh, appreciation of Bangladesh’s Taka against Indian Rupee, earlier and faster trade liberalization program in Bangladesh compared to India, tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) imposed by the Indian government, huge illegal trade, diversified exports and technologically advanced industrial base of India are identified as the main reasons of this huge trade imbalance. Structural and policy measures such as sound physical, social and economic infrastructure, superior product quality, export diversification, sufficient institutional facilities for banking, credit and insurance, improved law and order situation, labor unrest free environment, an honest and efficient administration, continuous political stability, huge domestic and foreign investments, joint ventures in Bangladesh with buy back arrangements, competitive devaluation of the Bangladesh currency against the Indian currency, removal of illegal trade, tariff and NTBs- free entry of Bangladesh’s exports to Indian market are suggested to improve this trade deficit. Also cordial and productive cooperation between these two nations is crucial to materialize these measures

The Determinants of Bangladesh's Trade: Evidence from the Generalized Gravity Model

The application of the generalized gravity model in analyzing the Bangladesh's trade reveals that Bangladesh's trade is positively determined by the size of the economies, per capita GNP differential of the countries involved and openness of the trading countries. Bangladesh's exports are positively determined by the exchange rate, partner countries' total import demand and openness of the Bangladesh economy. Bangladesh's imports are determined by inflation rates, per capita income differentials, openness of the countries involved in trade and the border between India and Bangladesh. Multilateral resistance factors and transportation costs affect Bangladesh's trade positively and negatively respectively.Fixed Effect Model; Bangladesh's Trade; Gravity Model; Panel Data

Bangladesh-India Bilateral Trade: Causes of Imbalance and Measures for Improvement

The study underscores the trend, structure and current picture of Bangladesh-India trade. Bangladesh has always been trade deficit with India, and recently it has increased exponentially. Limited export base, backward industries, inadequate infrastructure, appreciation of Bangladesh's Taka against Indian Rupee, earlier and faster trade liberalization program in Bangladesh compared to India, tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) imposed by the Indian government, huge illegal trade, diversified exports and technologically advanced industrial base of India are identified as the main reasons of this huge trade imbalance. Sound physical, social and economic infrastructure, superior product quality, export diversification, huge domestic and foreign investments, joint ventures in Bangladesh with buy back arrangements, competitive devaluation of the Bangladesh currency against the Indian currency, removal of illegal trade, tariff and NTBs- free entry of Bangladesh's exports to Indian market, etc. are suggested to improve this trade deficit. Also cordial and productive cooperation between these two nations is crucial to materialize these measures.Bangladesh-India; Bilateral Trade and Trade Imbalance; Bilateral Trade; Trade Imbalance

Child labour: the effects of globalisation

This paper analyses the current trend of global child labour, and investigates the causes and consequences of child labour with a particular attention on globalisation-child labour nexus. Though a decreasing trend is observed, the incidence of child labour is still alarming. The incidence in hazardous work is increased by 2.5 percent for the children aged 15-17 years over 4 years. Though controversy exists, poverty is still revealed as a strong determinant of child labour. Among the other factors, parents’ education, credit market constraints, schooling performance, child’s nutrition and health status, family size and birth order, higher schooling costs, lack of quality education, employer’s attitude, inappropriate government policy play major roles. It is also evident that child labour negatively affects child’s physical and mental health, educational outcomes, adult employment, adult earnings and bargaining power of adult workers. The theoretical arguments regarding the effects of globalisation on child labour is ambiguous. Empirical evidences also provide us mixed results

Child Work and Schooling in Bangladesh: The Role of Birth Order

Using data from Bangladesh, this paper examines how the birth order of a child influences parental decisions to place children in one of the four activities – ‘study only’, ‘study and work’, ‘neither work nor study’ and ‘work only’. The results from the multinomial logit model show that being a first-born child increases the probability of working as the prime activity or at least combining school with work rather than schooling only. The results confirm that later-born children are more likely to be in school than their earlier-born counterparts.Birth order, Child labour, School Attendance

The dynamic of financial development, imports, foreign direct investment and economic growth: cointegration and causality analysis in Pakistan

The paper investigates the effect of financial development, imports and foreign direct investment (FDI) on output in case of Pakistan over the period of 1990-2008 using quarterly data set. ARDL bounds testing approach is applied to examine the long run relationship and the direction of causality is investigated by using VECM framework. Our findings confirm the existence of cointegration, showing long run relation between financial development, imports, FDI and real GDP. Financial development, imports and FDI have positive and significant effect on the output of the country. Causality analysis reveals bidirectional relation among the variables but strong causality is also running from financial development, economic growth and FDI to real imports.Financial Development, Imports, FDI, Economic Growth

Do Imports and Foreign Capital Inflows Lead Economic Growth? Cointegration and Causality Analysis in Pakistan

The paper investigates the effects of imports and foreign capital inflows on economic growth in case of Pakistan over the period of 1990Q1-2008Q4. We have applied ARDL bounds testing approach to examine the long run relationship and investigated the direction of causality by using VECM multivariate framework. Our analysis confirms the long run relationship between imports, foreign capital inflows and economic growth. The results show that imports and foreign capital inflows have positive and significant effect on the economic growth of Pakistan. Causality analysis reveals bidirectional causal association among the variables, but strong causality is found from imports and foreign capital inflows to real GDP.Imports, FDI, Growth, Pakistan

The Determinants of Bangladesh’s Trade: Evidence from the Generalized Gravity Model

The application of the generalized gravity model in analyzing the Bangladesh’s trade reveals that Bangladesh’s trade is positively determined by the size of the economies, per capita GNP differential of the countries involved and openness of the trading countries. Bangladesh’s exports are positively determined by the exchange rate, partner countries’ total import demand and openness of the Bangladesh economy. Bangladesh’s imports are determined by inflation rates, per capita income differentials, openness of the countries involved in trade and the border between India and Bangladesh. Multilateral resistance factors and transportation costs affect Bangladesh’s trade positively and negatively respectively

A panel data analysis of Bangladesh’s trade: the gravity model approach

[Abstract]: Attempts are made to provide a theoretical justification for using the gravity model in the analysis of bilateral trade and apply the generalized gravity model to analyse the Bangladesh’s trade with its major trading partners using the panel data estimation technique. We have estimated the gravity model of trade (sum of exports and imports), the gravity model of export and the gravity model of import. Our results show that Bangladesh’s trade is positively determined by the size of the economies, per capita GNP differential of the countries involved and openness of the trading countries. The major determinants of Bangladesh’s exports are: the exchange rate, partner countries’ total import demand and openness of the Bangladesh economy. All three factors affect the Bangladesh’s exports positively. The exchange rate, on the other hand, has no effect on the Bangladesh’s import; rather imports are determined by the inflation rates, per capita income differentials and openness of the countries involved in trade. Transportation cost is found a significant factor in influencing Bangladesh’s trade negatively. Also Bangladesh’s imports are found to be influenced to a great extent by the border between India and Bangladesh. The country specific effects show that Bangladesh would do better by trading more with its neighbouring countries. Multilateral resistance factors affect Bangladesh’s trade and exports positively

Does the financial performance matter in accessing to finance for Libya's SMEs?

This study investigates the impact of financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on access to finance in Libya. The study is based on the primary data of 557 survey questionnaires on SMEs in various sectors of different regions of Libya. The data analysis contains the computation of descriptive statistics, correlation statistics and multivariate regression analysis. Our results confirm that financial performance expressed by liability to assets ratios, profit, return of assets have no significant effects on access to finance in Libya