“Asymmetric Export Volatility Shock Behaviour” of Lower Middle Income (LMI) Countries in South East Asia During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 Pandemic still affecting all countries. South Asian economies and that particularly India is no exception. Because of this “uncertainty shock”, India’s GDP has contracted by 3.1percent in the last quarter of 2020. The present empirical work covers broadly the “asymmetric spillover and related noisy shocks” surrounded with trade (export) volatility about LMI nations in “two phases” i.e. in terms of considering the During pandemic phase (DC) the period from April 2019 till June 2020 and Pre-pandemic phase (PC) from April 2013 till November 2020. A comparative trade volatility asymmetries analysis were applied using a nonlinear volatility function i.e. exponential weighted moving average (EWMA), and identification of noisy behaviour after the initial post-recovery for empirical evidence. The empirical findings discovered that there were “extended” non-smooth and noisy “shock propagation” post initial recovery across two phases by the use of VAR and VECM outcomes. Bangladesh and Pakistan were stronger “Noisy shock contributors” while Nepal and Sri Lanka were turned out to be the strongest “Noisy shock receivers”. This “noisy” behaviour implies “uncertainty” and chaos on the international trade front resulting in higherthan expected volatility in trade figures and in-built destabilized momentum in the impulses. The results also relate to the possible opportunities of intra-regional trade convergence as a policy imperative.