The Heterogeneous Impact of Maritime Container Transport on Economic Growth in Emerging Market and Developing Countries: Evidence from a Panel MMQR Approach
Keywords:
economic growth, liner shipping connectivity index, MMQR, Maritime container transport, Emerging market and developing countriesAbstract
This paper investigates the heterogeneous effects of maritime container transport on economic growth in emerging market and developing countries over the period 2007-2021, using various econometric techniques. These include FMOLS, DOLS, FE-OLS, and the MMQR model. The FMOLS, DOLS, and FE-OLS results indicate that maritime container transport indicators have a positive effect on economic growth. However, the MMQR findings reveal that this effect is heterogeneous across different income levels. According to the MMQR results, the effect of container throughput on economic growth is strongest in low-income countries and declines systematically as income levels increase. In contrast to the declining role of container throughput, the LSCI becomes progressively more important for economic growth in middle- and higher-income countries. Consequently, this study suggests that low-income economies should prioritize expanding port capacity, whereas middle- and high-income countries should focus on integrating into logistics networks, improving connectivity, and enhancing operational efficiency. These findings imply that uniform, “one-size-fits-all” policies are not suitable for emerging market and developing countries.
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