This study investigates the effects of trade openness on deforestation in the six countries of the Congo Basin using a panel data model. An up-to-date database on forest cover is utilized for the period 1990–2020. The feasible generalized least squares, seemingly unrelated regression, correlated panels corrected standard errors, and Driscoll and Kraay standard errors estimators are employed in this study to account for heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and cross-sectional dependence. Given the presence of cointegration, the dynamic ordinary least squares for cointegrated panel data is also utilized to estimate the model. The results indicate that an increase in trade openness is associated with a higher rate of deforestation. This finding is further supported by the robustness check conducted using the Trade Globalisation Index. Furthermore, a U-shaped relationship is observed between deforestation and income, which contradicts the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis.

中文翻译：

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贸易开放对刚果盆地国家森林砍伐的影响

本研究使用面板数据模型调查了贸易开放对刚果盆地六个国家森林砍伐的影响。使用 1990-2020 年期间的最新森林覆盖数据库。本研究采用可行的广义最小二乘法、看似无关的回归、相关面板校正标准误差以及 Driscoll 和 Kraay 标准误差估计量来解释异方差、自相关和横截面依赖性。鉴于协整的存在，协整面板数据的动态普通最小二乘也用于估计模型。结果表明，贸易开放度的提高与森林砍伐率的提高有关。使用贸易全球化指数进行的稳健性检查进一步支持了这一发现。此外，森林砍伐与收入之间存在 U 形关系，这与环境库兹涅茨曲线假设相矛盾。