Trade openness and economic growth: The Zambian case

Since independence, Zambia has pursued different trade policies aimed at enhancing benefits from international trade which in turn can promote economic growth and development. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between trade openness and economic growth for the Zambian Economy for the period 1980-2019. GDP growth, trade openness, FDI, industry value added, inflation, secondary school enrolment and terms of trade were the study variables. GDP growth, trade openness, FDI and terms of trade were I(0) whereas industry value added, inflation and secondary school enrolment were I(1). Thus, the ARDL approach was used as the method of estimation. Using a bounds testing procedure, it was found that cointegration exists among the study variables. The study found that trade openness has a negative effect on economic growth in the long run. Specifically, a 10 percent change in trade openness leads to a -1.38 percent change in economic growth. It was also found that when trade openness depends on FDI, inflation, secondary school enrolment and terms of trade, the effect on economic growth is positive. Thus, trade openness, FDI, inflation, secondary school enrolment and terms of trade complement each other to positively influence economic growth. Furthermore, FDI and secondary school enrolment have positive effects on economic growth in the long run. Terms of trade positively affects economic growth both in the long and short run whereas inflation has a positive effect on economic growth in the short run. On the other hand, industry value added has a negative effect on economic growth in the long run. The study also found a unidirectional causal relationship running from trade openness to economic growth. The study recommends a cautious consideration of complementary variables to trade openness before promoting more openness to trade for the Zambian Economy.