Trade Openness and Inflation Rate in China: Empirical Evidence from Time Series Data

Abstract

This study empirically examines the influence of trade openness on the rate of inflation by focusing on the Chinese economy. The study utilizes data covering the period 1987–2019 and employs the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) for the extraction of results from the designed models. The results of the study indicate that trade openness has indeed impacted the rate of inflation not only negatively but also significantly. This means that trade openness could be used as a tool to fight against higher inflation. Similarly, government expenditure, economic growth, exchange rate and money supply positively affect inflation. Money supply and government expenditures positively affect the rate of inflation in the short run. The study has important policy implications for the Chinese economy.

Keywords

• trade openness
• inflation
• ARDL
• China