Explaining the Volume of North-South Trade in Ireland: A Gravity Model Approach

Abstract

We address the question of whether the volume of manufacturing trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is more or less than might be expected in the light of international experience. We estimate a gravity equation for bilateral manufacturing trade between 28 developed countries from 1970 to 1992. Using the results as benchmark, we find that North-South trade in Ireland is greater rather than less than might be expected. The finding is robust with respect to a wide range of alternative specifications and alternative ways of measuring the key variables.