The Impact of Intermodal Connectivity of Transport Networks on Net Exports in the European Union Member States

In this paper we propose to evaluate the impact of intermodal connectivity of transport infrastructure on net exports in the European Union. In this context, we will test the hypothesis that the intermodal capacity development has the effect of increasing net exports. The impact assessment pursues two objectives: quantifying the extent to which intermodal connections help the balancing of net exports of European states and identifying the areas where infrastructural deficit has an impact on trade deficit in order to prioritize the infrastructure development interconnections. The volume of net exports is influenced by the degree of interconnection of transport infrastructure, which gives the intermodal nodes the role of cohesion agents at the community level. On the other hand, the integration into the global economy fosters improvements in net trade, fact revealed by the correlation between the KOF Index of globalization and the values of net exports