IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/josatr/v9y2024i1d10.1186_s41072-024-00180-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Access to finance and intra-Africa trade efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Brian Tavonga Mazorodze

    (Sol Plaatje University)

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of access to finance on intra-Africa trade efficiency using a panel dataset comprising 44 African exporters. Between 2008 and 2021, a stochastic frontier version of the gravity model finds intra-Africa trade to have been lower than its full potential by $1.1 billion on average. Exporters with better access to finance such as South Africa, Morrocco and Mauritius operated closer to their full potential. The effect of access to finance on intra-Africa trade is found to have been stronger between distant trading partners. This suggests that access to finance largely promotes intra-Africa trade through financing transportation and logistics. In view of these results, the analysis recommends policy efforts to improve access to finance in order to maximize trade between African countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Tavonga Mazorodze, 2024. "Access to finance and intra-Africa trade efficiency," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:josatr:v:9:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s41072-024-00180-1
    DOI: 10.1186/s41072-024-00180-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s41072-024-00180-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s41072-024-00180-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ngepah, Nicholas & Udeagha, Maxwell C., 2018. "African Regional Trade Agreements and Intra-African Trade," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 33(1), pages 1176-1199.
    2. Kalina Manova, 2013. "Credit Constraints, Heterogeneous Firms, and International Trade," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 80(2), pages 711-744.
    3. Anderson, James E. & Yotov, Yoto V., 2016. "Terms of trade and global efficiency effects of free trade agreements, 1990–2002," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 279-298.
    4. Mark Andor & Christopher Parmeter, 2017. "Pseudolikelihood estimation of the stochastic frontier model," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(55), pages 5651-5661, November.
    5. Leena Ajit Kaushal, 2022. "Impact of regional trade agreements on export efficiency – A case study of India," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 2008090-200, December.
    6. Mustafa U. Karakaplan & Levent Kutlu, 2017. "Endogeneity in panel stochastic frontier models: an application to the Japanese cotton spinning industry," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(59), pages 5935-5939, December.
    7. Berman, Nicolas & Héricourt, Jérôme, 2010. "Financial factors and the margins of trade: Evidence from cross-country firm-level data," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 206-217, November.
    8. Yakubu Awudu Sare & Anthony Q.Q. Aboagye & Lord Mensah, 2019. "Financial development, sectoral effects, and international trade in Africa: An application of pooled mean group (PMG) estimation approach," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(1), pages 328-347, January.
    9. Muûls, Mirabelle, 2015. "Exporters, importers and credit constraints," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(2), pages 333-343.
    10. Minetti, Raoul & Zhu, Susan Chun, 2011. "Credit constraints and firm export: Microeconomic evidence from Italy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 109-125, March.
    11. Battese, G E & Coelli, T J, 1995. "A Model for Technical Inefficiency Effects in a Stochastic Frontier Production Function for Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 325-332.
    12. Chaney, Thomas, 2016. "Liquidity constrained exporters," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 141-154.
    13. Hung-Jen Wang, 2002. "Heteroscedasticity and Non-Monotonic Efficiency Effects of a Stochastic Frontier Model," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 241-253, November.
    14. Rishav Bista & Monika Islam Khan, 2023. "Financial development and the distribution of trade flows," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(17), pages 2370-2376, October.
    15. Chaney, Thomas, 2016. "Liquidity constrained exporters," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 141-154.
    16. Foroutan, Faezeh & Pritchett, Lant, 1993. "Intra-sub-Saharan African Trade: Is It Too Little?," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 2(1), pages 74-105, May.
    17. Robert C. Feenstra & Zhiyuan Li & Miaojie Yu, 2014. "Exports and Credit Constraints under Incomplete Information: Theory and Evidence from China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(4), pages 729-744, October.
    18. Goksel, Turkmen, 2012. "Financial constraints and international trade patterns," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 2222-2225.
    19. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/5g3sadr9h8gbri8hrtq0h6au2 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Abidemi C. Adegboye & Samuel Iweriebor, 2018. "Does Access to Finance Enhance SME Innovation and Productivity in Nigeria? Evidence from the World Bank Enterprise Survey," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 30(4), pages 449-461, December.
    21. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    22. Stevenson, Rodney E., 1980. "Likelihood functions for generalized stochastic frontier estimation," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 57-66, May.
    23. Awudu Sare Yakubu & Anthony Q. Q. Aboagye & Lord Mensah & Godfred A. Bokpin, 2018. "Effect of financial development on international trade in Africa: Does measure of finance matter?," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(8), pages 917-936, November.
    24. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2007. "Finance, inequality and the poor," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 27-49, March.
    25. Raghuvir Kelkar & Kaliappa Kalirajan, 2021. "Has India achieved its potential in merchandise exports?," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 271-292, April.
    26. Joachim Jarreau & Sandra Poncet, 2010. "Export Performance and Credit Constraints in China," Working Papers 2010-33, CEPII research center.
    27. Andr� C Jordaan, 2014. "The impact of trade facilitation factors on South Africa's exports to a selection of African countries," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 591-605, July.
    28. Peter Egger & Michaela Kesina, 2013. "Financial Constraints and Exports: Evidence from Chinese Firms," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 59(4), pages 676-706, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David Kohn & Fernando Leibovici & Michal Szkup, 2016. "Financial Frictions And New Exporter Dynamics," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57(2), pages 453-486, May.
    2. Duc Bao Nguyen & Anne‐Gaël Vaubourg, 2021. "Financial intermediation, trade agreements and international trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 788-817, March.
    3. Lu, Yue & Shi, Huimin & Luo, Wei & Liu, Bin, 2018. "Productivity, financial constraints, and firms' global value chain participation: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 184-194.
    4. Li, Jie & Lan, Liping & Ouyang, Zhigang, 2020. "Credit constraints, currency depreciation and international trade," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    5. Choi, ByeongHwa, 2023. "The impact of financial development on innovation-based exports: Do all firms benefit equally?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 81-100.
    6. Dai, Mi & Nucci, Francesco & Pozzolo, Alberto F. & Xu, Jianwei, 2021. "Access to finance and the exchange rate elasticity of exports," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Almila Burgac Cil & Fikret Dulger, 2018. "Financial Constraints, Firm Characteristics and Exports: Evidence from Turkish Manufacturing Firms," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 8(1), pages 168-174.
    8. Dinopoulos, Elias & Kalyvitis, Sarantis & Katsimi, Margarita, 2020. "Variable export price elasticity, product quality, and credit constraints: Theory and evidence from Greek firms," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    9. Carsten Eckel & Florian Unger, 2023. "Credit Constraints, Endogenous Innovations, And Price Setting In International Trade," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 64(4), pages 1715-1747, November.
    10. Wagner, Joachim, 2015. "Credit constraints and the extensive margins of exports: First evidence for German manufacturing," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 9, pages 1-17.
    11. Yao Amber Li & Albert Park & Chen Zhao, 2015. "Credit Distribution and Exports: Microeconomic Evidence from China," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2015-31, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised Nov 2015.
    12. José Manuel Mansilla-Fernández & Juliette Milgram-Baleix, 2023. "Working capital management, financial constraints and exports: evidence from European and US manufacturers," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(4), pages 1769-1810, April.
    13. Irlacher, Michael & Unger, Florian, 2018. "Capital market imperfections and trade liberalization in general equilibrium," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 402-423.
    14. Angelo Secchi & Federico Tamagni & Chiara Tomasi, 2016. "Export price adjustments under financial constraints," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 49(3), pages 1057-1085, August.
    15. Juan A. Máñez Castillejo & Oscar Vicente-Chirivella, 2019. "Exports of Spanish manufacturing firms and financial constraints," Working Papers 1921, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    16. Joachim Wagner, 2016. "Credit Constraints and Margins of Import: First Evidence for German Manufacturing Enterprises," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 13, pages 423-452, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    17. Joachim Wagner, 2016. "Credit Constraints and Exports: A Survey of Empirical Studies Using Firm Level Data," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 12, pages 401-421, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    18. Dong Cheng & Zhongzhong Hu & Yong Tan, 2021. "Heterogeneous impacts of finance on firm exports: Evidence from export deregulation in a large developing country," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(11), pages 3326-3350, November.
    19. Nucci, Francesco & Pietrovito, Filomena & Pozzolo, Alberto Franco, 2023. "Intermediated trade and credit constraints: The case of firm’s imports," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 201-220.
    20. Fan, Haichao & Lai, Edwin L.-C. & Li, Yao Amber, 2015. "Credit constraints, quality, and export prices: Theory and evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 390-416.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:josatr:v:9:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s41072-024-00180-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.