On the Causality between Trade Credits and Imports: Evidence and Possible Implication for Trade Penalties on Debt Defaults

Main author: Jinjarak, Yothin
Format: Journal Article           
Online access: Click here to view record


id eprints-8746
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description This study investigates the association between trade credits and imports of developing countries. Made available by its creditors, the main function of trade credits is to facilitate cross-border transactions of goods and services. This study finds that the reliance of imports on trade credits varies across regions and income: towards the end of the 1990s, the trade credits to imports ratio ranged from 0.20 for East Asia & the Pacific to 0.87 for Africa, and from 0.24 for high-income countries to 0.79 for low-income countries. Applying panel and cross-country estimation, we find that past trade credits help predict current imports, but past imports do not alter the future path of trade credits. Further, the positive association between trade credits and imports is larger for countries more dependent upon trade credits. The findings support the notion that countries make debt repayments to avoid any potential disruption on the line of trade credits. We also find that the trade credits penalty could materialize within less than two quarters.
format Journal Article
author Jinjarak, Yothin
author_facet Jinjarak, Yothin
authorStr Jinjarak, Yothin
author_letter Jinjarak, Yothin
title On the Causality between Trade Credits and Imports: Evidence and Possible Implication for Trade Penalties on Debt Defaults
publisher Taylor and Francis
publishDate 2007
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/8746/