Jurnal Ekonomi & Studi Pembangunan
Vol. 26 No. 2: October 2025

Export-led growth and growth-led export in ASEAN: A panel VECM causality analysis




Article Info

Publish Date
31 Oct 2025

Abstract

This study examines the bidirectional relationship between exports and economic growth in five ASEAN countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. The analysis applies the Export-Led Growth (ELG) and Growth-Led Export (GLE) frameworks using annual panel data from 1971 to 2023. The Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and panel Granger causality tests are employed to identify short-term dynamics and long-term equilibrium relationships. Stationarity is tested using the Levin-Lin-Chu, Im-Pesaran-Shin, and Phillips-Perron methods, while long-run cointegration is examined using the Kao and Pedroni approaches. The findings confirm a stable long-run relationship between exports and economic growth across ASEAN countries. In the short run, causal directions vary among countries. The Export-Led Growth pattern appears in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, whereas the Growth-Led Export pattern is evident in the Philippines, while Malaysia shows a weaker short-term interaction. Long-run estimates reveal a two-way adjustment mechanism between exports and growth, suggesting that structural differences and trade openness determine the strength and direction of causality. The novelty of this research lies in the simultaneous testing of ELG and GLE hypotheses within a panel-based VECM framework that integrates short-run and long-run dynamics using Python-based econometric modelling. The study contributes new empirical evidence and policy insights for designing context-specific trade and growth strategies across ASEAN economies.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

esp

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

Jurnal Ekonomi & Studi Pembangunan (JESP) focuses on research papers relating to development economics and multidisciplinary concern to systemic problems in developing countries particularly using quantitative or theoretical work in which novelty is essential. JESP does not publish manuscripts in ...