A General Equilibrium Perspective of Aggregate Import Demand

This study extends the analytical framework for the specification of import demand behaviour from the conventional partial equilibrium to a general equilibrium perspective. This perspective emphasises the macro dimension of import demand and the potential influence of financial factors. Two new structural import demand equations are developed: (1) one specification utilises the macroeconomic income-expenditure relationships in the goods market; and (2) the second specification utilises the portfolio balance approach to capture financial market developments.