Impact of Internet Use on Trade Openness: Evidence from Southeast Asian Countries

Abstract

This research aims to examine the impact of Internet use on trade openness in Southeast Asian countries, with eight countries over the period of 1996-2020 as its samples. This study analyzed the data provided by World Bank using regression methods on random-effects, fixed-effects, and Driscoll-Kraay standard errors models. The research results show that the growth of the Internet positively affects trade openness in Southeast Asian countries. In addition, the result presents a positive relationship between trade openness with financial development, economic development, and urban growth rate. This study contributes to enhancing knowledge about the relationship between Internet usage and trade openness which is significant to the economic growth in several Southeast Asian countries