Abstract The rapid expansion of digitally deliverable services in ASEAN has transformed the region into a key player in global digital trade. Leveraging a gravity trade model, this study explores the impact of geographic distance and digital infrastructure on ASEAN's exports of digitally deliverable services. Our findings reveal three key insights: (1) both distance and digital endowments significantly influence digital deliverable service exports, (2) ASEAN's digitally deliverable services exports are determined primarily by their own digital infrastructure, with the digital endowment of the importing country being only marginally significant in explaining such exports, and (3) although the digital infrastructure of importing countries is not a significant determinant of any type of services trade—digitally deliverable, non-digitally deliverable, and overall services—it significantly affects merchandise trade from ASEAN.
Chia et al. (Fri,) studied this question.