Do Trade Openness and Output Gap Affect Inflation? Empirical Evidence from BRICS Nations

Abstract

The recent economic disturbances such as the outbreak of coronavirus, the Russia–Ukraine war, and disrupted supply chains, have resulted in high inflationary shocks that are difficult to combat. The most vulnerable to these global shocks are developing countries where trade is a crucial factor in economic growth. In this context, the study aims to investigate the impact of trade openness and output gap on inflation in BRICS countries from 1999Q1 to 2018Q4. Owing to growing economic integration and rising cross-sectional dependence, the study employs Dynamic Common Correlated Effect (DCCE) model to examine the long-run relationship between the variables. In addition, the study employs Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) to investigate the causal relationship between variables. The findings suggest that a more open trade policy helps to reduce rising domestic inflation. The price lowering impact of export openness outperforms the inflationary impact of imports, resulting in flattened Phillips curve. Moreover, the results indicate that the underpowered effect of the domestic output gap is not sufficient to counteract the unfavourable impact of the foreign output gap on inflation in BRICS. As a result, the study advocates providing subsidies and tax breaks to help export-oriented businesses thrive while keeping the global factors in check.