This paper is aimed at multiplicatively estimating the parameters of the gravity equation by using the Poisson Pseudo-Maximum-Likelihood (PPML) estimator, and taking heteroskedasticity into account at the same time. Besides, in order to compare the results, the model will be estimated trough OLS and Tobit, and the precision of the different estimators will be assessed by a set of specification tests. Results indicate that the effects of Preferential Trade Agreements are very sensitive to the method chosen to estimate the gravity model and the results obtained under PPML are the most reliable.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.