Exchange Rate Volatility and Productivity Growth: The Role of Liability Dollarization

This paper studies how liability dollarization conditions the effect of exchange rate flexibility on growth. It develops a model with credit-constrained firms facing liquidity shocks denominated in tradables while their revenues are both in tradable and nontradables. With frictions in the reallocation between tradables and nontradables, a peg is more growth-enhancing than a float in countries with dollarized debt because it stabilizes firms?? cash flows and therefore allows them to face liquidity shock and complete their innovation process. However, this relative advantage diminishes when dollarization decreases. These theoretical predictions are confirmed by an empirical analysis on a panel of 76 countries spanning 1995?C2004: the higher the degree of dollarization, the more negative the impact of exchange rate flexibility on growth. The empirical results are robust to various specifications and to the treatment of endogeneity.     

Price adjustment after hyperinflation in Zimbabwe

This paper examines—post‐dollarization in Zimbabwe—the extent of price dispersion within Zimbabwe and between Zimbabwe and South Africa. We document the adjustment process, and the mechanisms of price adjustment after the introduction of the new currency system in Zimbabwe. We show that prices converged post‐dollarization. We argue that the fall in price dispersion is not a product or a Southern Africa region effect. Rather it is a Zimbabwe specific effect and given that price convergence happens quicker the closer the month is to the dollarization, we argue that the observed results are driven by the change in currency. Price dispersion happens faster between major cities and secondary cities, suggesting improvements in information and trade signals between major and secondary cities. These results suggest that the positive effects of a stable currency fall disproportionally on secondary cities, implying price stability not only has macroeconomic benefits, but also developmental benefits since secondary cities and rural areas are on average, poorer than main cities.     

东亚汇率合作的现实选择——基于汇率动态性的考察

从理论上看,东亚地区汇率合作有多种形式可以选择,然而,合作选择受制于双边汇率动态性。本文通过东亚主要国家汇率相关性和锚货币的动态性考察,推导出现阶段东亚汇率合作的方案选择,即从非正式的单独钉住货币篮子入手,逐步过渡到正式的共同钉住区域内外货币组成的混合货币篮子,最终的方向是构建东亚共同的由区域内货币组成的货币篮子或者说亚洲货币单位(ACU)。     

Interdependence of ASEAN-5 Stock Markets from the US and Japan

Abstract

During the 12 years since 1992 when people started to use the dollar as a currency in Cambodia, the share of the dollar has reached more than 70% of the total currency. This dollarization phenomenon has resulted in large seigniorage losses for the Cambodian government. The costs are estimated up to US$682 million at the end of 2004 with an additional US$61 million lost annually. Furthermore, there are many other kinds of costs caused by the side effects of seigniorage loss. Without siegiorage, some monetary, fiscal and foreign trade policies are no longer available. Worsening the distortion of income distribution is another side effect. These are major costs of dollarization over the direct seigniorage loss. The benefits of dollarization include stabilizing price levels and lowering the risk of national default during a foreign currency crisis. It is not difficult to conclude that the costs of dollarization outweigh the benefits.

There are two de-dollarization methods. One is a policy that prohibits people from using the dollar as a currency by law. The other is the policy that widens the difference of the costs and the benefits of using dollars, also by law. Either method is applicable but it seems reasonable that the method of prohibition by direct law would be more effective and efficient than the other method, since 84% of the total population exclusively uses the riel in Cambodia.

It is totally dependent on the decision of the Cambodian government whether or not a de-dollarization policy is adopted. The results of the decision, for good or ill, will rest finally with the people of Cambodia.     

Modeling the Dollarization: A Case Study for Cambodia,Laos, and Vietnam

Abstract

We model the dollarization of three transitional economies in south-east Asia: Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam which have been experiencing the transition and reform process of the economy for the time period 1992–2007. Based on Rojas-Suarez (IMF Working Paper WP/92/33, 1992) work, we examine whether the holdings of US dollars depend on the effect of the expected rate of depreciation in market exchange rates as expected by the model. Also, we examine whether the effects are proportional to the degree of the dollarization of the economy. The empirical results present that there are positive effects (expected) of the expected rate of depreciation in market exchange rates on the holdings of US dollars. The coefficients are statistically significant only for Cambodia and Laos, not for Vietnam. The effect is strongest for Cambodia, and this may reflect the fact that Cambodia's dollarization is stronger than those of Laos and Vietnam.     

美元定价、汇率传递与美元贬值对东亚经济的冲击

本文对东亚国家和地区国际商品贸易定价货币的选择进行了考察,分析了东亚汇率传递的特征及美元贬值对东亚经济的影响与冲击,并提出中国的对策。研究发现:美元定价已成为外部冲击向东亚经济传导的重要渠道;美元定价导致美国和东亚之间只存在单向的汇率传递,从而削弱约束美元贬值的内在机制;在美元定价条件下,东亚国家在面对美元贬值对经济的刺激作用时乐观其成,但是在面对美元贬值所带来的"滞胀"冲击时却没有有效的隔离机制。     

The effect of exchange rate volatility on international trade in East Asia

In this paper, we empirically investigate the relationship between exchange rate volatility and international trade, focusing on East Asia. Our findings are summarized as follows: first, intra-East Asian trade is discouraged by exchange rate volatility more seriously than trade in other regions. Second, one important source of the discouragement is that intermediate goods trade in international production networks, which is quite sensitive to exchange rate volatility compared with other types of trade, occupies a significant fraction of East Asian trade. Third, the negative effect of the volatility is greater than that of tariffs and smaller than that of distance-related costs in East Asia.     

Exchange Rate Volatility and Growth in Emerging Europe and East Asia

The paper investigates the impact of exchange rate volatility on growth in Emerging Europe and East Asia. Exchange rate stability has been argued to affect growth negatively as it deprives countries from the ability to react in a flexible way to asymmetric real shocks and increases the probability of speculative capital inflows and overheating. In contrast, exchange rate stability can be argued to affect growth in emerging market economies positively as transactions costs for international trade decline, uncertainty for international capital flows is less and macroeconomic stability is enhanced. Cross country panel estimations provide evidence for a negative impact of the exchange rate volatility on growth in both Emerging Europe and East Asia. Parts of this negative growth effect can be associated with exchange rate volatility caused by macroeconomic instability.     

东亚货币合作研究文献综述

全球性金融危机的爆发再次助推了东亚地区货币合作的进程。本文详细梳理了东亚货币合作研究的线索,明确了东亚货币合作进一步的研究方向：从货币竞争和锚货币选择这个思路考察区域内核心货币（尤其是人民币）在汇率协调机制中发挥的作用,并对东亚汇率协调机制进行重估。同时,还需在新形势下从理论和实践层面探讨中国如何参与东亚货币合作以促进中国乃至东亚地区的繁荣和发展,为进一步推进东亚货币合作提供理论支持和政策依据。     

全球经济失衡态势下的东亚地区资本流动

在全球经济失衡背景下,东亚地区的资本流动呈现出与以往完全不同的特征,一方面是私人资本不断流入东亚地区且结构均衡,另一方面是大量的资本又从官方储备以购买美国国债的渠道流出东亚地区。今后东亚地区的这种资本流动将受到官方外汇储备变动、美国利率的变化、美元贬值、东亚汇率及其制度的调整等因素的影响。     

What Should the Weights of the Three Major Currencies be in a Common Currency Basket in East Asia?*

We consider what type of regional common currency should be introduced in East Asia in the future. The common currency basket is, in itself, more desirable as an anchor currency. In this paper we define two types of currency basket and investigate the long‐term sustainability of adopting a common currency basket in East Asia. From our empirical results, a larger weight (but less than 100 percent) for the US dollar in the common currency basket tends to make bilateral exchange rates among East Asian countries stable in the long run.     

Seigniorage,Dollarization and Public Debt: The Lebanese Civil War and Recovery Experience, 1982–97

The paper develops theoretical frameworks to explain the phenomena of seigniorage, dollarization, and public debt; and then applies them to the Lebanese macroeconomic situation over 1982–97. More specifically, it analyzes the implications of seigniorage and dollarization to see what extent they were responsible for the inflation and exchange rate depreciations during the civil war period. It also studies the sustainability of postwar debt. The conclusions that emerge from the analysis are that budget deficits were only one of the reasons behind the war inflation and depreciations, dollarization could still impose some problems for macroeconomic stability, and tax reforms are essential for fiscal balance.     

Exchange-Rate Policies in Emerging Countries: Eleven Empirical Regularities From Latin America and East Asia

In this paper I discuss some of the most important lessons on exchange-rate policies in emerging markets during the last 35 years. The analysis is undertaken from the perspective of both the Latin American and East Asian nations. Some of the topics addressed include: the relationship between exchange-rate regimes and growth, the costs of currency crises, the merits of “dollarization,” the relationship between exchange rates and macroeconomic stability, monetary independence under alternative exchange-rate arrangements, and the effects of the recent global “currency wars” on exchange rates in commodity exporters.     

Optimum Currency Areas in Emerging Market Regions: Evidence Based on the Symmetry of Economic Shocks

This paper examines which emerging market regions form optimum currency areas (OCAs) by assessing the symmetry of macroeconomic shocks. We extend the output-prices-VAR framework by adding net exports and the real effective exchange rate as endogenous variables. Based on theoretical considerations, we derive which shocks affect these variables in the long run: shocks to labor productivity, foreign trade, labor supply, and money supply. The considered economies of Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, East and Southeast Asia, and South Asia, exhibit large enough shock symmetry to form a currency union; the economies of Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East do not.     

美国经济波动对东亚经济的影响

经济全球化使世界经济紧密联系在一起,各国经济也更易受到外部经济冲击的影响。本文考察了美国经济波动对东亚8个开放经济体的影响,结果显示,东亚经济大约有18%的波动来源于美国经济的冲击,这主要是因为美国和东亚保持着紧密的贸易和金融联系。由于各经济体在经济总量、汇率制度安排等方面的差异,造成受美国经济波动的影响也不相同。总体看,这些冲击持续的时间大约在15个季度。     

Japanese foreign direct investment and regional trade

We examine the relationship between Japanese FDI outflows, domestic and foreign fixed investment, and the exchange rate. The results indicate that aggregate FDI outflows have been driven by investment in Japan and the exchange rate, while the geographic distribution of such investment has been influenced by foreign economic conditions. We also find that FDI outflows have a temporary impact on exports but a permanent effect on imports. We find no evidence that behavior with respect to East Asia differs from that with respect to North America or Europe.     

东亚经济体汇率制度选择:基于博弈论视角的分析

东亚金融危机凸现了该地区汇率制度不匹配以及区域协调机制的缺失。本文运用博弈论分析法探讨东亚经济体汇率制度的最优选择,合作博弈与非合作博弈分析显示在短期,和共同钉住货币篮相比,各自独立钉住货币篮更能提高各国的福利。从长期来看,在各自钉住的基础上实现共同钉住货币篮,建立区域性汇率安排和协调机制是东亚各国汇率制度改革的方向。     

Toward A Financial Architecture in East Asia： A Proposed Roadmap and China＇s Perspective

This paper provides with a proposed roadmap for strengthening financial architecture in East Asia. We discuss the goals, driving forces and obstacles in the short and medium run and correspondingly suggest possible steps that would be taken at different stages. A longterm vision is also briefly presented. The main points we have made are as follows. (1) An East Asia monetary union can be an ultimate long-term objective for the region. (2) In order to achieve this, we shall start with amending the current CMI mechanism and fostering the need of regional local currencies in trade and financial transactions through establishing regional bond market in the short-term. (3) A regional bond market with local currencies involved and a more stable exchange rate arrangement in a broader scope to emerge are likely in the medium term.     

On the feasibility of a regional exchange rate system for East Asia: Lessons of the 1992/1993 EMS crisis

This paper argues that a regional exchange rate system such as the EMS should not be ruled out when discussing monetary options for East Asia. The paper recalls that the 1992/1993 EMS crisis was the crisis of an exchange rate system and not just the collapse of unilateral pegs pursued by individual countries. It discusses distinct features that add to the credibility of regional exchange rate systems and reasons that a system that is built around well-defined rules and which is managed very carefully and cooperatively according to those rules could be both credible and sustainable even in the 21st century.     

东亚的美元本位:影响和汇率协调及我国的对策

在以美元为主导的国际货币体系框架下,东亚地区事实上处于美元区内,没有自己的货币定价权。为了克服美元本位制度的弊端和对美元依赖造成的负面影响,东亚地区需要积极开展汇率协调或汇率合作,为本地区的经济发展营造良好稳定的宏观环境。我国应该积极参与东亚外汇储备库的建设,稳步推进人民币的区域化和国际化的步伐,以积极主动的姿态,参与东亚国家的汇率协调与合作。