Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study the determinants of merchandise exports of maritime countries based on panel data models during the period from 2007 to 2014. We investigate particularly the relationship between countries' merchandise exports and quality logistics performance, seaport infrastructure quality, and liner shipping connectivity. Regarding to the existing literature of merchandise exports this paper has the originality to introduce some logistics and infrastructure variables in addition to the traditional used factors, such as: cost to export, the official exchange rate, consumer price index, and gross of domestic product. Results suggest that the quality of seaport infrastructure, customs clearance processes, as well as time to export and maritime connectivity, could be explanatory factors of countries' merchandise exports. The empirical results confirm that there exists a significant relationship among the merchandise exports and the aforementioned variables except the cost to export.