The Effect of Energy Carriers Prices on Manufactured Export in Iran, Using Panel Data Model

According to international trade theories, countries attempt to produce and export commodities with their abundant resources. Iran has great energy resources and availability of inexpensive energy input has increased energy consumption per capita in manufacturing sector as well as in consuming sector. Relying on low energy price, manufacturers employ energy-intensive methods for producing and exporting commodities. It follows, then, that sensitivity to changes in energy price in Iran is very high. Employing panel-data model, this study seeks to investigate the intensity of the effects of changes in energy price on the export of manufacturing sector. The findings of this paper indicate that energy price and export are negatively related. Furthermore, those sectors that export a larger proportion of their GDP, due to high consumption of energy, are more sensitive to the changes in energy price.