Into the Mussa puzzle: monetary policy regimes and the real exchange rate in a small open economy

Industrial countries moving from fixed to floating exchange rate regimes experience dramatic rises in the variability of the real exchange rate. This evidence, forcefully documented by Mussa [Nominal exchange regimes and the behavior of real exchange rates: evidence and implications. Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy 25 (1986) 117], is a puzzle because it is hard to reconcile with the assumption of flexible prices. This paper lays out a dynamic general equilibrium model of a small open economy that combines nominal price rigidity with a systematic behavior of monetary policy able to approximate a continuum of exchange rate regimes. A version of the model with complete exchange rate pass-through is broadly consistent with Mussa’s findings. Most importantly, this holds independently of the underlying source of fluctuations in the economy, stressing the role of the nominal exchange rate regime per se in affecting the variability of the real exchange rate. However, only a model featuring incomplete exchange rate pass-through can account for a broader range of exchange rate statistics. Finally there exist ranges of values for either the degree of openness or the elasticity of substitution between domestic and foreign goods for which the baseline model is also consistent with the empirical insensitivity of output volatility to the type of exchange rate regime, as documented by Baxter and Stockman [Journal of Monetary Economics 23 (1989) 377].     

Sectoral adjustment costs and real exchange rate dynamics in a two-sector dependent economy

This paper develops a two-sector model in which intersectoral capital movements involve adjustment costs, expressed as capital lost in the transformation process. These costs have important consequences for the dynamics of capital accumulation and particularly for real exchange rate dynamics. Persistent deviations of the real exchange rate from its equilibrium are derived and for plausible values of the adjustment cost parameters are consistent with the observed degree of real exchange rate persistence. For low adjustment costs the dynamics are qualitatively similar to those of the standard Heckscher-Ohlin technology. For high adjustment costs, the model converges to the specific-factors model. Thus our framework includes these two standard models as polar extremes.     

Lending booms, sharp reversals and real exchange rate dynamics

Emerging markets in the 1990s experienced periods of booms followed by collapses in gross domestic product, consumption, traded and non-traded sector output and real exchange rate movements alongside unprecedented movements in foreign investor participation in these economies. An important feature of these episodes is the asymmetry in the pattern of booms and collapses. We introduce a natural search friction into the foreign investment decision in a small open economy and demonstrate that this can generate the asymmetry observed in the data. The magnitude of the reversals predicted by the model can be quantitatively large and empirically relevant.     

Why is it so difficult to beat the random walk forecast of exchange rates?

Recent empirical evidence suggests that the time series behavior of the real exchange rate is well approximated by a nonlinear, exponential smooth transition autoregressive (ESTAR) model. This nonlinearity helps resolve a number of puzzles concerning the persistence and volatility of real exchange rates. In this paper, we explore whether it may also help resolve the well-known difficulties of exchange rate forecasting. We develop a bootstrap test of the random walk hypothesis of the nominal exchange rate, given ESTAR real exchange rate dynamics. We find strong evidence of predictability at horizons of 2 to 3 years, but not at shorter horizons.     

Fixed exchange rates and trade

A classic argument for a fixed exchange rate is its promotion of trade. Empirical support for this, however, is mixed. While one branch of research consistently shows a small negative effect of exchange rate volatility on trade, another, more recent, branch presents evidence of a large positive impact of currency unions on trade. This paper helps resolve this disconnect. Our results, which use a new data-based classification of fixed exchange rate regimes, show a large, significant effect of a fixed exchange rate on bilateral trade between a base country and a country that pegs to it. These results suggest an economically relevant role for exchange rate regimes in trade determination since a significant amount of world trade is conducted between countries with fixed exchange rates.     

Real exchange rate targeting and macroeconomic instability

Using an optimizing model of a small open economy, this paper studies the macroeconomic effects of PPP rules whereby the government increases the devaluation rate when the real exchange rate—defined as the price of tradables in terms of nontradables—is below its long-run level and reduces the devaluation rate when the real exchange rate is above its long-run level. The paper shows that the mere existence of such a rule can generate aggregate instability due to self-fulfilling expectations. The result is shown to obtain in both flexible- and sluggish-price environments.     

Long-run real exchange rates in the Four Little Dragons

This paper analyses changes in the exchange rate arrangements and policy and their impact on the long-run real exchange rates of the Asian Four Little Dragons. It is found that purchasing power parity is a basic guide in formulating the exchange rate policy of the Four Little Dragons and that exchange rate regimes are very responsive to the effect of major external disturbances on prices. Thus, the exchange rate policy and arrangements are important factors in shaping the behaviour of the real exchange rates of the FLDs, which tend to return to the long-run average value. To test the null hypothesis that purchasing power parity does not hold between the Four Little Dragons and the United States, two cointegration tests, the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and the Johansen test, are applied. As the symmetry and proportionality conditions are not supported by the data, the tests are conducted in a trivariate system. While the ADF test does not support PPP, evidence of cointegration is found by the Johansen test.     

人民币汇率变动对福建出口贸易结构的影响分析

文章采用1985-2010年人民币实际有效汇率和福建省FDI及出口贸易结构的年度数据进行协整分析,结果表明,福建省出口贸易结构与人民币实际有效汇率之间存在长期的稳定的均衡关系,人民币汇率稳步升值将有利于我国贸易结构的优化升级。     

我国房价变动与进口贸易的关系:基于GMM与主成分因子的分析

本文利用中国1991至2009年的月度住宅销售平均价格数据,在广义矩方法(GMM)的基础上,重点引入基于时间序列数据的主成分因子分析模型进行实证研究,发现进口总值与商品房屋平均销售价格呈正相关关系,且进口总值的变动是房价变动的格兰杰原因,这可能与生产性厂商更多地选择投资房产有关。主成分因子分析结果表明,房价和其他四个解释变量组成的线性回归模型,可以很好地解释进口总值的变动。     

The impact of world oil price shocks on the Canada/U.S. real exchange rate

This article investigates whether and how changes in the world oil price affect the Canada/U.S. real exchange rate. We applied vector autoregression and vector error correction models for the real exchange rate, world oil price, monetary differential, government spending, and productivity differential between the two countries. Our results demonstrate that a surge in the world oil price will lead to an appreciation of the Canadian dollar in the short and long term. Product differentials and U.S. government spending have a negative impact on the Canada/U.S. real exchange rate, and Canadian government spending leads to a depreciation of the Canadian dollar.     

国际原油价格波动对人民币汇率的冲击效应研究

在结合理论模型分析的基础上,以2001年1月至2010年3月国际原油价格和人民币实际有效汇率的月度数据为主要研究样本,采用结构向量自回归(SVAR)模型,实证分析了国际油价波动对人民币实际有效汇率的动态冲击效应。研究结果表明:国际油价上涨对人民币实际有效汇率产生了负向影响,但冲击后的有效汇率在回归到零值后会越过零值重新回到升值的趋势中;国际油价上涨对CPI有显著的正向影响,国际油价上涨是推高CPI的一个重要因素;国际油价上涨引起了工业增加值增长率的波动;国际油价上涨对出口增长率的影响表现出J曲线的特征。     

Consumption and real exchange rates in professional forecasts

Standard models of international risk sharing with complete asset markets predict a positive association between relative consumption growth and real exchange-rate depreciations across countries. The striking lack of evidence for this link — the consumption/real-exchange-rate anomaly or Backus–Smith puzzle — has prompted research on risk-sharing indicators with incomplete asset markets. That research generally implies that the association holds in forecasts, rather than realizations. Using professional forecasts for 28 countries for 1990–2010 we find no such association, whether for floating nominal exchange rate regimes, fixed exchange rates, or common currencies, thus deepening the puzzle.     

我国房地产价格持续上涨的原因及对策

近10年来,我国房地产价格持续攀升。其原因主要有:需求拉动、土地价格的持续上涨、建安成本的增加和开发商的趋利动机等。应改善房地产市场的供应结构,加强对土地市场的管理和银行监管,完善房地产税费制度和信息系统,加强房地产的价格调控,促进我国房地产市场的健康稳定发展。     

On cross-country differences in the persistence of real exchange rates

Previous findings of long-run purchasing power parity come mainly from data for industrial countries, raising the issue of whether the results suffer sample-selection bias and exaggerate the general relevance of parity reversion. This study uncovers substantial cross-country heterogeneity in the persistence of deviations from parity. The results show that it is more likely, rather than less likely, to find parity reversion for developing countries than industrial countries. Although some persistence variations may partly reflect country differences in structural characteristics such as inflation experience and government spending, a considerable portion of those variations seems unaccounted for.     

人民币汇率波动、成本粘性与企业自由现金流--来自A股上市公司2003－2011年经验证据

人民币汇率波动对进出口商品价格具有显著传导效应,研究发现,当企业销售量下降、营业收入减少时,企业成本粘性增强,企业自由现金流下降明显,这表明我国上市公司确实存在成本粘性行为,宏观经济政策调控是导致企业成本粘性行为之一。当企业存在成本粘性特质时,研究发现,企业收入呈负增长,人民币升值幅度较快,成本粘性加剧,企业自由现金流下降趋势更加显著,人民币汇率波动作用于微观企业现金流或通过成本粘性机制来实现。     

国际油价与人民币汇率的非对称溢出效应研究--基于VEC-BEKK-GARCH模型

石油作为重要的战略能源,其价格波动对全球经济的运行和发展会产生极大的影响。为测算国际油价与人民币汇率的均衡关系及非对称溢出效应,选取2008年1月~2019年7月的每日数据,在平稳性检验的基础上,综合运用协整检验和脉冲响应函数等方式,对二者的均值溢出效应进行测量;在VECBEKK-GARCH模型的支撑下,对其非对称波动溢出效应水平进行测算。研究结果表明:国际油价与人民币汇率的协整关系和均值溢出效应处于长期均衡状态;二者的非对称波动溢出效应是双向的,国际油价会随人民币汇率的变化呈现出时变性和持续性特征,而国际油价变动具备持续性特征时,人民币汇率随之产生变化。这种非对称波动溢出效应表明,无论国际油价如何变化,对人民币汇率的冲击都是非对称的。     

中国外贸条件和实际汇率关系的实证分析

根据相关统计数据的研究,中国贸易条件变化与中美通货膨胀率间存在如下关系:中国贸易条件改善之时,正是中国通货膨胀高于美国之期;而中国贸易条件恶化之时,亦是中国通货膨胀低于美国之期。而购买力平价说又将两国汇率变动情况与两国间通货膨胀率相联接,由此,笔者拟以通货膨胀率为中介,对中国外贸条件和实际汇率变动关系加以实证分析,并对当前人民币汇率走势和解决中国外贸条件恶化的方式提出稍许评述。     

Does the world real interest rate affect the real exchange rate? The South East Asian experience

Abstract

We analyze the consequences of US real interest rate rises on the real exchange rate (RER) in a two-good overlapping generations model of a semi-small open economy. The equilibrium RER depreciates (appreciates) when the world interest rate increases in a debtor (creditor) country. We then study empirically the reaction of the RER in a set of South East Asian (SEA) countries to shocks in US real interest rates. The results support the conclusions of the theory model at least for Singapore, Thailand and South Korea during the period 1980 – 2001. This points towards world interest rate shocks as possible trigger factors for exchange rate crises during the adjustment process towards the new equilibrium.     

人民币实际汇率与贸易条件的实证研究

基于均衡汇率理论,应用协整模型,采用真实变量分析了1980-2003年的人民币实际汇率及其与均衡汇率的失调情况,进而研究了不同时期人民币实际汇率与贸易条件的关系。结果表明:贸易条件与中长期以及短期的实际汇率存在显著的关系,贸易条件的恶化或改善是导致人民币实际汇率升值或贬值的重要原因之一。并且,在不同的发展时期,贸易条件对实际汇率的影响呈现出不同的特点。