Role of technological infrastructures in exports: evidence from a cross-country analysis

Using panel data for 48 heterogeneous countries for the period 2000–2010, we explore the impact of a wide set of determinants along with the technological infrastructures on goods and services exports in gravity models. We find that along with the usual basic factors such as incomes, distance, exchange rate depreciation, exchange rate regimes, common language, contiguity, free trade areas, colonial links, the technological infrastructures and complementarity between services and goods exports are quite crucial determinants for both types of exports. Among the technological infrastructures, internet use plays a significant role in promoting service exports rather than promoting goods exports.