An Analysis of Exports and Growth in LDCs

It is often argued that LDC exports are too low, with a negative effect on growth and development. This paper focuses on the link between GDP and openness in 1971, 1978, and 1985. It is found that such a link was negligible over the period considered; in fact, although openness in LDCs was often far from appropriate, deviations from the "expected" level hardly had significant consequences on development.