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.

相关文章摘要：本论文借鉴了土耳其在21世纪初大规模公共道路投资的情况，旨在深化我们对内部交通运输基础设施如何影响区域进入国际市场的理解。通过分析土耳其各省的国际贸易数据及其连接国家国际门户的道路容量变化，我们估算出不同容量道路相关的贸易距离弹性。研究得出三项关键结论。首先，在高速公路上平均运输成本比在单车道道路上降低约70%。其次，在道路基础设施上一美元投资的10年贸易流量现值介于0.7至2美元之间。第三，对运输成本降低的贡献与行业对运输的敏感性成正比。鉴于高效物流能够使国家参与全球供应链并发挥其比较优势，本研究对于发展具有深远的影响。