THE RELATIONSHIPS OF TRADE, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND MARKET POWER: THE CASE OF RICE EXPORTING

This paper aims to (1) analyze the relationship between rice exports and economic growth for the world’s top four exporting countries (Thailand, Vietnam, India, and the U.S) and (2) seek to determine to what extent market power affects a country’s economic growth. The main objective of this paper is to determine to what extent economic growth impacts a country’s rice exports as well as to what extent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) impacts a country’s ability to export rice. This analysis also examines the impact of market power on economic growth. On the basis of these results, we examine the existence of market power in the international rice market with respect to rice supply, and moreover, propose that there is a bi-directional causality between the international rice trade and economic growth for major rice exporting countries.