Data for: Domestic road infrastructure and international trade: Evidence from Turkey

Abstract of associated article: Drawing on the large-scale public investment in roads undertaken in Turkey during the 2000s, this paper contributes to our understanding of how internal transportation infrastructure affects regional access to international markets. Using data on international trade of Turkish provinces and the change in the capacity of the roads connecting them to the international gateways of the country, we estimate the distance elasticity of trade associated with roads of varying capacity. Three key results emerge. First, the cost of an average shipment over a high-capacity expressway is about 70% lower than it is over single-lane roads. Second, the present value of a 10-year stream of trade flows generated by a one-dollar investment in road infrastructure ranges between $0.7 and $2. Third, the reduction in transportation costs is greater the more transportation-sensitive an industry is. To the extent that efficient logistics enable countries to take part in global supply chains and exploit their comparative advantages, our findings have important developmental implications.

关联论文摘要：本文以土耳其2000年代实施的大规模公路公共投资项目为研究场景，旨在深化对国内交通基础设施如何影响区域国际市场准入的学术认知。研究依托土耳其各省份的国际贸易数据，以及连接各省份与该国国际口岸的公路通行能力变化情况，估算了不同通行能力公路对应的贸易距离弹性。本研究得出三项核心结论：其一，单趟常规货运在高通行能力高速公路上的成本较单车道公路低约70%；其二，每1美元的公路基础设施投资在10年内所能产生的贸易流现值介于0.7美元至2美元之间；其三，行业的运输敏感程度越高，运输成本的降幅便越大。鉴于高效物流能够助力各国参与全球供应链并发挥自身比较优势，本研究结论具有重要的发展政策启示。