Thirlwall's law and the terms of trade: a parsimonious extension of the balance-of-payments-constrained growth model

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-485
Author(s):  
Esteban Pérez Caldentey ◽  
Juan Carlos Moreno-Brid

This paper extends the balance-of-payments-constrained (BoPC) growth model and Thirlwall's law to include the terms of trade with and without capital flows. Without capital flows a positive (negative) change in the terms of trade by improving (worsening) export performance can ceteris paribus augment (reduce) the rate of growth of an economy compatible with balance of payments’ long-run equilibrium. With the inclusion of capital flows the BoPC dynamics become more complex. Assuming no changes in the real exchange rate and in the import elasticity of demand, an improvement in the terms of trade can increase the level of the external deficit compatible with BoPC growth. This results from the terms-of-trade effects on the purchasing of exports and on foreign-capital inflows. The positive effect of an improvement in the terms of trade may be partially offset by an appreciation of the real exchange rate and an increase in the import elasticity of demand, when the model is extended to allow for such interactions in the analysis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson H. Barbosa-Filho

Abstract This paper presents a partial equilibrium model that integrates interest rate arbitrage with the balance-of-payments constraint to determine the real exchange rate. The sequential logic is the following: (i) carry-trade determines the term premium, with the spot rate showing greater volatility than the forward rate, (ii) uncovered interest rate parity determines the spot rate based on the real exchange rate consistent with a financial constraint, defined as a stable ratio of foreign reserves to foreign debt; and (iii) the trade balance consistent with the financial constraint determines the long-run real exchange rate for a given ratio of domestic to foreign income.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-69
Author(s):  
BERNARDO MATTOS SANTANA ◽  
JOSÉ LUIS OREIRO

ABSTRACT The objective of the present article is to develop a Kaldorian Growth model that (i) had a balance of payments constraint, in order to eliminate the inconsistency of balance of payments growth models; and (ii) defines a precise mechanism by which the level of real exchange rate can affect long-term growth. An important innovation introduced in the model is the idea that Kaldor-Verdoorn coefficient - that measures the sensibility of growth rate of labor productivity to output growth - depends on the share of manufacturing output on GDP. This hypothesis allowed us to introduce the possibility of structural change, defined as a dynamic process by which the share of manufacturing industry on real output could change over time. In this case, it will be possible to analyze the dynamic properties of the model either in the case where productive structure is kept constant (case with no structural change), as in the case where it evolves over time as a result of some economic process (case with structural change).


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 183-210
Author(s):  
Nandeeswara Rao ◽  
TassewDufera Tolcha

Real exchange rate has direct effects on trade particularly on international trade and has indirect effects on productions and employments, so it is crucial to understand the factors which determine its variations. This study analyses the main determinants of the real exchange rate and the dynamic adjustment of the real exchange rate following shocks to those determinants using yearly Ethiopian time series data covering the period 1971 to 2010. It begins with a review of literatures on Exchange rate, real exchange rate, determinants of the real exchange rate and provides an updated background on the exchange rate system in Ethiopia. An empirical model linking the real exchange rate to its theoretical determinants is then specified. This study had employed the cointegration and vector autoregression (VAR) analysis with impulse response and variance decomposition analyses to provide robust long run effects and short run dynamic effects on the real exchange rate. Share of investment, foreign exchange reserve, capital inflow and government consumption of non-tradable goods were the variable that have been found to have a long run relationship with the real exchange rate. The estimate of the speed of adjustment coefficient found in this study indicates that about a third of the variation in the real exchange rate from its equilibrium level is corrected within a year. The regression result of VECM reveals that terms of trade, nominal exchange rate, and one period lag of capital flow were the variables significantly affects the real exchange rate in the short run. However, the impulse response and variance decomposition analysis shows a better picture of the short run dynamics. The their analysis provided evidence that the Shocks to terms of trade, nominal exchange rate, capital inflow and share of investment have persistent effects on the real exchange rate in the short run. In general the regression results of both long run and short run models mostly suggest that the fluctuations of real exchange rates are predominantly responses to monetary policies shocks rather than fiscal policy shocks.


2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (205) ◽  
pp. 31-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hubert Gabrisch

This paper uses Granger causality tests to assess the linkages between changes in the real exchange rate and net capital inflows using the example of Western Balkan countries, which have suffered from low competitiveness and external imbalances for many years. The real exchange rate is a measure of a country?s price competitiveness, and the paper uses two concepts: relative unit labour cost and relative inflation differential. The sample consists of six Western Balkan countries for the period 1996-2012, relative to the European Union (EU). The main finding is that changes in the net capital flows precede changes in relative unit labour costs and not vice versa. Also, there is evidence that net capital flows affect the inflation differential of countries, although to a less discernible extent. This suggests that the increasing divergence in the unit labour cost between the EU and Western Balkan countries up to the global financial crisis was at least partly the result of net capital inflows. The paper adds to the ongoing debate on improving cost competitiveness through wage restrictions as the main vehicle to avert the accumulation of current account imbalances. It shows the importance of changes in the exchange rate regime, reform of the interaction between the financial and the real sector, and financial supervision and structural change.


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