Neighboring countries boost exports in COMESA, new spatial models reveal
The article explores how neighboring countries affect the export activities of COMESA countries. The researchers used spatial panel models to analyze the exports patterns and economic statistics of COMESA countries. They found that the spatial Durbin model with fixed effects is the most suitable for this study. The study also showed the importance of indirect spatial effects in estimating exports among COMESA regions. This research is the first to use spatial panel models to examine exports within COMESA and its member countries.