This paper investigates the direct and combined impacts of trade facilitation and information and communication technology (ICT) on bilateral flows of 25 sub-Saharan countries. For that purpose, we select time to export and import as specific trade facilitation indicators and broadband use to study ICT impacts. Our sample covers a total of 93 countries over the period 2004–2018. By preprocessing data analysis, we impute time costs missing values, an essential shortcoming of the available databases, to study trade facilitation over time. Lastly, we employ a gravity model and implement a Bonus Vetus Estimation. Our results show that broadband use exerts a positive and significant effect on trade, especially relevant for intra-African trade flows. Furthermore, the combined effects indicate that broadband also modulates the negative impacts of time to export and time to import in the case of intra-SSA countries' trade. The more significant result is found for time to export. Our results also confirm that time costs are not only particularly harmful to intra-African trade but also negatively impact trade flows from SSA countries to the rest of the world. These outcomes show the importance of coordinating trade facilitation and digital transformation policies, particularly those devoted to digitally transforming African customs.

中文翻译：

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宽带使用和贸易便利化：对撒哈拉以南非洲国家双边贸易的影响

本文调查了贸易便利化和信息通信技术 (ICT) 对 25 个撒哈拉以南非洲国家双边流动的直接和综合影响。为此，我们选择进出口时间作为具体的贸易便利化指标和宽带使用来研究信息通信技术的影响。我们的样本涵盖 2004 年至 2018 年期间总共 93 个国家。通过预处理数据分析，我们估算时间成本缺失值（现有数据库的一个基本缺点），以研究贸易便利化随时间的变化。最后，我们采用重力模型并实施 Bonus Vetus 估计。我们的研究结果表明，宽带的使用对贸易产生了积极而重大的影响，尤其是与非洲内部的贸易流动相关。此外，综合效应表明，就撒哈拉以南非洲国家内部贸易而言，宽带还可以调节出口时间和进口时间的负面影响。更重要的结果是导出时间。我们的研究结果还证实，时间成本不仅对非洲内部贸易特别有害，而且还会对从撒哈拉以南非洲国家到世界其他地区的贸易流量产生负面影响。这些结果表明协调贸易便利化和数字化转型政策的重要性，特别是那些致力于数字化转型非洲海关的政策。我们的研究结果还证实，时间成本不仅对非洲内部贸易特别有害，而且还会对从撒哈拉以南非洲国家到世界其他地区的贸易流量产生负面影响。这些结果表明协调贸易便利化和数字化转型政策的重要性，特别是那些致力于数字化转型非洲海关的政策。我们的研究结果还证实，时间成本不仅对非洲内部贸易特别有害，而且还会对从撒哈拉以南非洲国家到世界其他地区的贸易流量产生负面影响。这些结果表明协调贸易便利化和数字化转型政策的重要性，特别是那些致力于数字化转型非洲海关的政策。