The sustainability of trade accounts of the ASEAN-5 countries
Purpose – The present study aims to analyse the sustainability of the trade deficits in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-5 countries using panel framework during the period from 1965 to 2011. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applied a battery of first- and second-generation panel unit root tests and Pedroni's, Kao and Chiang's, Westerlund, and Di Iorio and Fachin cointegration tests to achieve the objective. Findings – The paper found the evidence of sustainable trade deficit in ASEAN-5 countries while utilizing panel unit root tests as well as panel cointegration tests. Research limitations/implications – The findings have important macroeconomic policies implication for ASEAN-5 countries that these policies had been effective in leading exports and imports to long-run steady-state equilibrium relationship among the ASEAN-5 countries. Originality/value – The main contribution of the paper is to show that the macroeconomic policies of ASEAN-5 countries had been effective in leading exports and imports to long-run steady-state equilibrium relationship. To the authors' best knowledge, in this area, this is the first study in the panel framework for ASEAN countries.