Financial Crisis and Steel Trade Integration in Asia and Pacific: A Static and Dynamic Analysis

The objective of this paper is to explore the effect of financial crisis on trade flows of steel industries in the major Asian-Pacific steel producing countries. Using a static and dynamic panel data analysis, we test the hypothesis that the global financial crisis has a negative effect on Asia-Pacific bilateral steel trade flows. We also examine the role of regional trade integration in bilateral steel trade in Asia and Pacific. The underlying assumption is that such integration contributes to increase trade relations and possibly adjust the imposed costs of financial crisis on the sector. To this end, we use cross-sectional data on steel trade flows of the selected Asian-Pacific countries over a specific period (2002-2006). The study is based on an extended gravitational model, in order to incorporate the main gravity variables and qualitative factors as well. The implication of this study can be towards implementation of an integrating block of steel industry by collaborating different countries in Asia and Pacific. This creates a larger regional steel trade market, and leading possibly to reduce the global or regional crisis.