Investigating the Index of Regional Trade Integration for Iran: The Graph Theory

This study investigated trade integration and the role of Iran in ECO and D8 trade agreements in this study. The regional trade integration index and centrality indices for ECO and D8 agreements were measured by using the data of 150 countries during 1980-2019 and complex networks approach. The results from regional trade integration index revealed that trade relations of these two agreements’ members with each other, was very lower than their trade relations with other countries out of the agreements. Also, the findings from Iranian’s regional trade integration index in ECO and D8 agreements showed that trade relations of Iran with the members of these two agreements was very lower than trade relations with other countries. Therefore, ECO and D8 agreements have not had considerable impact on developing trade relations of Iran with other members of the afore mentioned agreements. strength centrality index indicated that bilateral trade of the country with the members of ECO and D8 has decreased during the years of study. Also, eigenvector centrality index for the members of ECO and D8 was relatively low in 1980,1990 and 2000 and it was improved in 2010 and 2019. Density index for ECO and D8 show that the trade relations between their members have insufficient integration.