Capital flows and real exchange rates in emerging Asian countries

This paper examines the impact of capital flows on real exchange rates in emerging Asian countries during 2000–2009 using a dynamic panel-data model. The estimation results show that the composition of capital flow matters in determining the impact of the flows on real exchange rates. Other forms of capital flow, especially portfolio investment, bring in a faster speed of real exchange rate appreciation than foreign direct investment (FDI). However, the magnitude of appreciation among capital flows is close to each other. The increasing importance of merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in FDI in the region makes these flows behave closer to other forms of capital flow. The estimation results also show that during the estimation period, capital outflows bring about a greater degree of exchange rate adjustment than capital inflows. This evidence is found for all types of capital flow. All in all, the results indicate that the swift rebound of capital inflows into the region could result in excessive appreciation of (real) currencies, especially when capital inflows are in the form of portfolio investment.     

Short-term capital flows under flexible exchange rates

Zusammenfassung Kurzfristige Kapitalbewegungen bei flexiblen Wechselkursen. — In dieser Arbeit werden die kurzfristigen Kapitalzuflüsse in ihrer Eigenschaft als ausl?ndische Nachfrage nach heimischem Geld behandelt. Unter diesem Aspekt hat ein exogener Zufluβ bei flexiblen Wechselkursen eine unmittelbar deflation?re Wirkung. Auβerdem werden die wechselkursinduzierten kurzfristigen Kapital-bewegungen in einem einfachen makro?konomischen Modell analysiert. Selbst wenn man den mehr traditionellen Typ von zinselastischen Kapitalbewegungen in dem Modell berücksichtigt, führt der hier gew?hlte Ansatz zu bedeutsamen Modifikationen der Standardargumentation.

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Résumé Les flux des capitaux à court terme sous les conditions de cours de change flexibles. — Cet article se concentre sur les afflux des capitaux à court terme compris comme démande extérieure en faveur d’argent local. Un afflux exogène sous cet angle a un effet directement déflationniste sous les conditions de cours de change flexibles. De plus, cet article analyse le r?le des afflux des capitaux à court terme induits par le cours de change. Même en considérant le type plus traditionel des flux des capitaux étant élastique envers l’intérêt dans notre modèle cette approche mène aux qualifications signifiantes du modèle de standard.

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Resumen Flujos de capital de corto plazo bajo tasas de cambio flexibles. — Este artículo se concentra sobre los influjos de capital de corto plazo considerados como demanda extranjera por moneda doméstica. Un influjo exógeno tiene, bajo este punto de vista, un efecto deflatorio directo bajo tasas de cambio flexibles. Además, este articulo analiza el rol de los flujos de capital de corto plazo inducidos por variaciones en la tasa de cambio en un modelo macro-económico simple. Incluso considerando en nuestro modelo flujos de capital elásticos con respecto a la tasa de interés del tipo más tradicional, este enfoque nos muestra cualificaciones significativas del modelo standard.

     

Real exchange rates and U.S./Korean bilateral trade

This study examines the impacts of the real exchange rate on the bilateral trade between the U.S. and Korea using a highly disaggregated data set. In doing so, we estimate real exchange rate elasticity for 59 exported commodities （SITC two-digit classification） and 48 imported commodities （also SITC two-digit classification）. Furthermore, we classify commodities according to their attributes in order to examine whether commodity attributes influence the exchange rate elasticity of exports and imports. According to this study＇s results, there have been large changes across those commodities that are ranked as being top contributors to U.S. exports to and imports from Korea for the time periods before, during, and after the Korean financial crisis. Commodity attributes are shown to influence the exchange rate elasticity but are not always consistent with the a priori expectations.     

Dynamics of parallel and official exchange rates: The experience of hungary

This paper provides empirical evidence on the dynamics of dual markets in Hungary during the 1980–93 period using cointegration and error correction methodologies. The results suggest that the official and parallel markets were cointegrated. Short-run dynamics of these rates resulted from the overshooting and adjustment by the parallel rate to shocks, without any adjustment by the official rate. A devaluation had no significant impact on the parallel market premium in the long run. Although the premium declined in the short run, it was relatively small and sluggish. One lesson for the design of stabilization programs in other countries is that a devaluation is not a powerful policy tool to reduce the premium effectively.     

Capital controls and international trade finance in a dual exchange rate regime: The Belgian experience post-mortem

Capital Controls and International Trade Finance in a Dual Exchange Rate Regime: The Belgian Experience Post-Mortem. — The purpose of the paper is to model “leads and lags” capital flows on the official segment of a dual exchange market and to examine the effects of various types of capital controls imposed by authorities on the official spot and forward exchange markets. The focus of the analysis is the degree of insulation provided by a “dual exchange market cum capital controls” in face of a speculative crisis. The crucial variables in this respect are the deviation from covered interest parity and the forward risk premium. Results of the theoretical model are confronted with empirical evidence over the 1975–85 period.     

Fundamental equilibrium exchange rates and exchange rate dynamics

This paper examines whether there is a tendency for actual exchange rates to return to their fundamental equilibrium exchange rates (FEERs) when the latter are estimated based on popular exchange rate models. Co-integration tests and unit root tests are applied. There is little evidence that the exchange rates of Japan and Germany have a reversion to the purchasing-power-parity (PPP) rates or Williamson's FEERs or the underlying external and internal balance (UEI) FEERs.     

Interest rates, exchange rates and international adjustment: BW II dynamics

Recent attempts to explain the dynamics of adjustment of dollar exchange rates in the face of an anticipated deterioration of the US net international investment position have focused on portfolio balance models of exchange rate determination. In this paper we argue that such models are useful in understanding the behavior of dollar exchange rates with emerging market currencies but, consistent with a large body of empirical research, are not useful in understanding changes in the dollars value against the euro or the currencies of other developed countries. We conclude that portfolio preferences of governments of emerging markets provide the most plausible explanation for the persistent US current account deficit.     

Expectations and floating exchange rates

Zusammenfassung Erwartungen und flexible Wechselkurse. — Das Ziel dieses Aufsatzes ist es, den Anpassungsproze\ bei flexiblen Wechselkursen unter Berücksichtigung von Wechselkurserwartungen (verbal) zu erkl?ren. Die Arbeit konzentriert sich auf die ?konomischen Prozesse w?hrend des übergangs von einem Gleichgewicht zum anderen. Sie beginnt mit einem kurzen überblick über das bekannte Mundell/Fleming-Modell, unterstreicht die Annahme neutraler Erwartungen in dem Modell und weist auf die Unvereinbarkeit zwischen dieser Annahme und der Annahme vollst?ndiger Substituierbarkeit von inl?ndischen und ausl?ndischen finanziellen Aktiva hin. Dann wird auf der Basis von Modellen, die Dornbusch in verschiedenen, wichtigen Artikeln entwickelt hat, die Wirkung alternativer Annahmen über die Erwartungen untersucht. Als Antwort auf eine exogene St?rung führen Wechselkurs?nderungserwartungen dazu, da\ inl?ndische und ausl?ndische Zinss?tze divergieren. Diese Beziehung beeinflu\t, zusammen mit Unterschieden in der Anpassungsgeschwindigkeit auf den M?rkten für Güter und finanzielle Aktiva, die Entwicklung des Wechselkurses. Es wird eine Erkl?rung für überreaktionen vorgelegt, aber die komparativ-statische Methode macht es schwierig, den zeitlichen Ablauf vollst?ndig zu erkl?ren. Jedoch wird klar, da\ die Annahmen über die Erwartungen den zeitlichen Verlauf der Wechselkurs?nderungen entscheidend beeinflussen.

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Résumé Les expectatives et les taux des changes flottants. — Cet article essaie de donner une explication verbale du procès d’ajustement en cours d’un régime des taux des changes flottants si les expectatives de taux de change sont considérées. Le papier se concentre sur les procès économiques actuels qui se passent pendant la transition d’une position d’équilibre à l’autre. Il commence avec une revue brève du modèle bien connu de Mundell / Fleming soulignant les suppositions des expectatives neutres dans ce modèle, et démontrant une contradiction entre cette supposition et la supposition de la substitutionalité parfaite entre les actifs financiers locaux et étrangers. Puis, en appliquant les modèles développés par Dornbusch dans quelques articles importants comme base, nous examinons l’effet de l’introduction des autres suppositions d’expectative. En réponse à une perturbation exogène, les changes attendus en taux de change causent une divergence des taux d’intérêt locaux et mondiaux. Cette relation, ensemble avec les différences en vitesse d’ajustement sur les marchés d’actif et de produit, influe la voie de temps du taux de change. Nous donnons une explication du dépassement mais la méthode comparative-statique d’analyse le rend difficile d’expliquer le séquence temporale. Cependant il est évident que la supposition d’expectative affecte la voie de temps du taux de change considérablement.

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Resumen Expectativas y tasas de cambio flotantes. — El propósito de este artículo es el de prover una explicatión verbal del proceso de ajuste en un régimen de tasas de cambio flotantes cuando se toman en cuenta las expectativas cambiarias. El articulo enfoca los procesos económicos reales que ocurren durante la transitión de una positión de equilibrio a otra. Comienza con una revisión del bien conocido modelo de Mundell/Fleming, subrayando el supuesto de expectativas neutrales en dicho modelo, y apuntando hacia la contradictión entre este supuesto y el supuesto de la perfecta sustituibilidad entre activos financieros domésticos y extranjeros. En respuesta a una perturbatión exógena, los cambios esperados en la tasa de cambio causan movimientos divergentes en las tasas de interés domésticas y mundiales. Esta relatión, junto con las diferencias en la velocidad de ajuste en los mercados de activos y de bienes, influencia la evolutión del tipo de cambio a través del tiempo. Se prové una explicatión para el ?overshooting?, pero el método de anàlisis estáticocomparativo hace difícil la explicatión completa de la secuencia temporal. Queda claro, sin embargo, que el supuesto de expectativas afecta crucialmente la evolutión temporal de la tasa de cambio.

     

Navigating the trilemma: Capital flows and monetary policy in China

In recent years China has faced an increasing trilemma—how to pursue an independent domestic monetary policy and limit exchange rate flexibility, while at the same time facing large and growing international capital flows. This paper analyzes the impact of the trilemma on China's monetary policy as the country liberalizes its good and financial markets and integrates with the world economy. It shows how China has sought to insulate its reserve money from the effects of balance of payments inflows by sterilizing through the issuance of central bank liabilities. However, we report empirical results indicating that sterilization dropped precipitously in 2006 in the face of the ongoing massive buildup of international reserves, leading to a surge in reserve money growth.We also estimate a vector error correction model linking the surge in China's reserve money to broad money, real GDP, and the price level. We use this model to explore the inflationary implications of different policy scenarios. Under a scenario of continued rapid reserve money growth (consistent with limited sterilization of foreign exchange reserve accumulation) and strong economic growth, the model predicts a rapid increase in inflation. A model simulation using an extension of the framework that incorporates recent increases in bank reserve requirements also implies a rapid rise in inflation. By contrast, model simulations incorporating a sharp slowdown in economic growth such as that seen in late 2008 and 2009 lead to less inflation pressure even with a substantial buildup in international reserves.     

Keynes on inflation and exchange rates

Atlantic Economic Journal -     

Systematic sampling and real exchange rates

Systematic Sampling and Real Exchange Rates. — Four major real bilateral exchange rates are shown to be well characterized by nonlinear stationary models over the recent float. Using Monte Carlo methods, this paper examines the effects of systematic sampling on the behaviour of real exchange rates and shows that: systematic sampling reduces significantly nonlinearity in real exchange rates and affects their lag structure; given a certain span, the frequency of the data set becomes crucial for detecting mean reversion in real exchange rates once the analysis is switched from a linear to a nonlinear model. Monte Carlo simulations also suggest that the parameter governing the speed of nonlinear mean reversion may be upward biased.     

福建吸引台资的问题、原因和对策分析

以海峡西岸经济区建设为大背景,以投资诱发要素组合理论为指导,分析福建吸引台资下降的主要原因。从间接诱发因素来看,主要包括工业基础薄弱、投资软环境及产业配套能力差和优惠政策淡化;从直接诱发因素来看,主要包括廉价劳动力成本优势丧失、缺乏高素质人才的补充等。针对诱发要素的弱点,最后提出若干相应对策。     

Real exchange rates and unit root tests

Real Exchange Rates and Unit Root Tests. — This paper examines monthly OECD exchange rate data (1979–1997) using univariate and panel data unit root tests. Some of these tests support the hypothesis of a unit root. But tests of cointegration reveal the existence of weak purchasing power parity relationships between bilateral nominal exchange rates and relative prices. We suggest that researchers need not conduct unit root tests on real exchange rate data when a modified version of PPP is used; or if there is a long enough time series. Given the definition of real exchange rates, the indicator should be stationary and should have intrinsic mean reverting behaviour.     

Fiscal sustainability and solvency: theory and recent experience in Indonesia

A major challenge for Indonesian economic policy makers is to avoid the recurrence of conditions that could trigger a new economic crisis. One of the important dimensions of this challenge will be to conduct fiscal policy in a way that is sustainable, given the level of interest rates and the rate of growth of the economy. This paper synthesises various approaches to the measurement of fiscal sustainability that have appeared in the economic literature, relates these measures to the fundamental concept of fiscal solvency, and applies the framework to Indonesia over the period 1991–2003. The domestic and foreign debt positions of the central government are treated separately, to capture the influence of exchange rate changes on the relative costs of domestic and foreign borrowing. The empirical analysis indicates that Indonesia has met the fiscal sustainability criterion in recent years, except when the rupiah has depreciated heavily.     

Real financial market exchange rate volatility and portfolio flows

This paper studies the relationship between real financial market exchange rate volatility and US cross-border equity flows. We found strong evidence that causality goes from real financial market exchange rate volatility to equity flows. According to our results, real financial market exchange rate volatility negatively influences purchases of foreign equity. This finding is in line with the portfolio optimization theory. The impact of real financial market exchange rate volatility on sales of foreign equity is also negative. This result can be explained by the theory of behavioral finance which states that investors are reluctant to realize losses of their portfolios. This is why investors decrease sales of assets when riskiness of the assets increases. The impact of real financial market exchange rate on net purchases of foreign equity is positive. It follows from these results that sales of foreign equity decrease more strongly than purchases of foreign equity when riskiness of foreign assets increases.