The size of banking crises in credible fixed exchange rate regimes

Since monetary policy is constrained in fixed exchange rate regimes, we should observe fewer banking crises due to moral hazard in countries with credible currency pegs. However, three countries with seemingly credible pegs in the nineteen-eighties and -nineties, namely China, Hong Kong and Argentina, still suffered crises in their domestic banking sectors. The present note illustrates that bank incentives to take on excess risk still exist in countries with currency peg credibility and that the size of that risk exposure (and thus the potential for crisis) may be positively related to the level of central bank foreign exchange reserves.     

Financial sector development and dollarization in emerging economies

This paper discusses important features of financial dollarization and its implications for the macro economy and financial sector deepening. Despite the need to slow down the rate of inflation and keep exchange rates under control, to achieve growth and economic development, monetary policies may permit increases in the base money to keep pace with real GDP growth. In heavily dollarized economies, during periods of sharp devaluations of the domestic currency, financial assets and liabilities shift toward foreign currency, exacerbating downward pressure on the exchange rate. When central banks face pressures to keep the exchange rate steady in nominal terms, interest rates in the domestic currency are set at levels substantially higher than those on dollar assets. In such states of the world, banks prefer to lend to the government sector at these higher rates than to the private sector. Although private firms may benefit from lower rates on dollar loans, they also face significant exchange rate or currency risk due to the currency mismatch emerging from their dollar debt while their receivables may tilt toward domestic currency denominated instruments. This weakens their balance sheet, which in turn increases the exposure of the banking sector to a variety of risks.     

Heavy tails and currency crises

In affine models of foreign exchange rate returns, the nature of cross sectional interdependence in crisis periods hinges on the tail properties of the fundamentals' distribution. If the fundamentals exhibit thin tails like the normal distribution, the dependence vanishes asymptotically; while the dependence remains in the case of heavy tailed fundamentals as in case of the Student-t distribution. The linearity of the monetary model and heavy tail distributed fundamentals are sufficient conditions for fundamentals-based repeated joint currency crises. An estimator for the extreme exchange rate interdependencies is obtained and applied to Western, Asian and Latin American currency block data.     

Real Sector Shocks and Monetary Policy Responses in a Financially Vulnerable Emerging Economy

When analyzing the appropriate response for monetary policy during a currency crisis, it is important to keep in mind two distinct channels: the effect of raising interest rates on exchange rates and the direct effect of exchange rate changes on output. The first pertains to the monetary side of the economy as given by the interest parity condition. The second pertains to the real side of the economy. The interaction between these two parts of the economy derives the equilibrium output and exchange rate in the economy. This paper expands on the Aghion et al. (2000) monetary model with nominal rigidities and foreign currency debt, to examine the interaction between the real and monetary sides of the economy and to analyze the effect of monetary policy on the real economy. We find that the effect of monetary policy on exchange rate and output is theoretically ambiguous. This in turn suggests that the appropriate monetary policy response could vary among countries at any point in time, or for a particular country between two different periods.     

国际货币制度变迁的系统相容性分析

从系统相容性的角度分析国际货币制度变迁的百年历史 ,为关于国际货币制度的探讨提供了一个新的视角和平台。迄今为止的国际货币制度采取的形式都位于相容性模型的解集中。当系统的不相容性累计到一定程度之后 ,系统均衡被打破 ,货币金融危机频仍 ,新的系统则应运而生。实物本位终将为信用本位所取代 ,货币本位的虚拟化不可避免。全球化背景下浮动汇率制将以货币联盟的形式向固定汇率制复归。国际货币制度的最终演进方向是全球统一货币     

Monetary policy under alternative bank market structures

The purpose of this paper is to derive and compare the short-run effects of monetary policy under both perfectly and imperfectly competitive banking markets. Within the context of a general equilibrium framework which emphasizes the demands for and supplies of financial assets, it is demonstrated that the structure of banking markets can have a bearing on the appropriate choice of policy targets and instruments. Specifically, the Federal Funds rate is shown to be a potentially ineffective target/instrument for policy under a competitive banking system, although it can be used to produce conventional short-run effects when banking markets are imperfect. In contrast, the level of currency and unborrowed reserves can be utilized as an effective target/instrument under either form of bank market structure.     

International dimensions of optimal monetary policy

This paper provides a baseline general equilibrium model of optimal monetary policy among interdependent economies with monopolistic firms and nominal rigidities. An inward-looking policy of domestic price stabilization is not optimal when firms’ markups are exposed to currency fluctuations. Such a policy raises exchange rate volatility, leading foreign exporters to charge higher prices vis-à-vis increased uncertainty in the export market. As higher import prices reduce the purchasing power of domestic consumers, optimal monetary rules trade off a larger domestic output gap against lower consumer prices. Optimal rules in a world Nash equilibrium lead to less exchange rate volatility relative to both inward-looking rules and discretionary policies, even when the latter do not suffer from any inflationary (or deflationary) bias. Gains from international monetary cooperation are related in a non-monotonic way to the degree of exchange rate pass-through.     

Taylor rules and the Canadian–US equilibrium exchange rate

This paper identifies the Canadian–US equilibrium exchange rate based on a simple structural model of the real exchange rate, in which monetary policy follows a Taylor-rule interest rate reaction function. The exchange rate is explained by relative output and inflation as observable variables, and by unobserved equilibrium rates as well as unobserved transitory components in output and the exchange rate. Using Canadian data over 1974–2009 we jointly estimate the unobserved components and the structural parameters using the Kalman filter and Bayesian technique. We find that Canada's equilibrium exchange rate evolves smoothly and follows a trend depreciation. The transitory component is found to be very persistent but much more volatile than the equilibrium rate, resulting in few but prolonged periods of currency misalignments.     

Real exchange rate persistence and monetary policy rules

The objective of this paper is to analyze the effects of alternative monetary rules on real exchange rate persistence. Using a two-country stochastic dynamic general equilibrium with nominal price stickiness and local currency pricing, we will show how the persistence of purchasing power parity deviations can be related to a monetary theory of these deviations. When monetary policy lean against the wind, there is no relationship of proportionality between the time during which prices remain sticky and the persistence of the response of the real exchange rate: in this case high nominal price rigidity is not sufficient, per se, in generating any persistence following a monetary shock. Moreover, we emphasize the role of interest rates smoothing policies and relative price stickiness within countries in understanding the relationship between the real exchange rate and monetary shocks. With reasonable parameters values, a wide range of monetary policy rules can generate real exchange rate autocorrelations around the ones observed in the data.     

De facto exchange rate regimes and currency crises: Are pegged regimes with capital account liberalization really more prone to speculative attacks?

This paper empirically examines whether de facto exchange rate regimes affect the occurrence of currency crises in 84 countries over the 1980–2001 period by using the probit model. We employ the de facto classification of Reinhart and Rogoff (2004) that allows us to estimate the impact of relatively long-lived exchange rate regimes on currency crises with much greater precision. We find that pegged regimes significantly decrease the likelihood of currency crises compared with floating regimes. By using the combined data of exchange rate regimes and the existence of capital controls, we also find interesting evidence that pegged regimes with capital account liberalization significantly lower the likelihood of currency crises compared with other regimes. These results are robust to a wide variety of samples and models. From the standpoint of the macroeconomic policy trilemma, we can conjecture that pegged regimes with capital account liberalization are substantially less prone to speculative attacks because they can enhance greater credibility in their currencies by abandoning monetary policy autonomy.     

Foreign exchange intervention and equilibrium real exchange rates

Monetary authorities intervene in the currency markets in order to pursue a monetary rule and/or to smooth exchange rate volatility caused by speculative attacks. In the present paper we investigate for possible intervention effects on the volatility of nominal exchange rates and the estimated equilibrium behaviour of real exchange rates. The main argument of the paper is that omission of intervention effects – when they are significant – would bias the ability to detect any PPP-based behaviour of the real exchange rates in the long run. Positive evidence for this argument comes from the experience of six Central and Eastern European economies, whose exchange markets are characterised by frequent interventions.     

The role of saving and investment in exchange rate determination under alternative monetary mechanisms

We argue that the demand for national currencies depends on existing payment arrangements for imports and exports. Therefore, exchange rate movements depend on these arrangement. As a result, the relationship between exchange rate movements and various macroeconomic aggregates — like saving and investment — depend on what we call the monetary mechanism. These points are explicitly demonstrated by studying two extreme monetary mechanisms, one in which all payments are done with the seller's currency and one in which all payments are done with the buyer's currency.     

我国动态货币条件指数的构建与分析

本文首先讨论了货币条件指数的理论基础,同时论述了货币政策、信贷传导在中国的发展和现状。在分析了中国近年来货币政策传导渠道的特征以后,笔者构建了中国的动态货币条件指数模型,其中包含了体现中国货币政策利率传导渠道的实际利率、汇率传导渠道的实际有效汇率以及信贷传导渠道的贷款增长率。在计算出实际利率、实际有效汇率和贷款增长率的动态权重后,我们得到了中国的动态货币条件指数,表明其自2000年以来出现了先提高、后降低、再升高的交替态势,表明中国的货币状况自2000年以来处于由紧到松再紧的动态走势。本文最后还根据动态权重的大小及其走势分析了中国货币状况呈现这种走势的主要原因。     

稳定国际货币体系

本文着重研究60年代的国际货币体系与当今盛行的国际货币体系之间的差异。60年代，美元是主要的储备货币，倘若政府不希望持有美元，唯一的选择便是从美国财政部购入黄金。今天，他们则可以以美元换手欧元。他们可能继续购入美元以避免其本国货币升值，但随即他们又会在外汇市场上出售美元，换回欧元。于是欧元汇率上升，由于外国对美国政府债务持有需求的降低，美元利率将会迅速上调。为避免上述情形的发生，下列两种创新方法可资借鉴：欧洲中央银行可创设一特别便利设施（a special facility）以满足人们对欧元的这种需求；中央银行把非意愿持有的美元存放于基金组织所管理倡导的便利设施中。建议一赋予了欧元主要国际储备货币的角色；建议二则将这一角色功能定位在特别提款权身上。它同时将避免日后美元与欧元货币问转换所造成的不稳定。     

人民币汇率变动对货币替代的影响分析

自2005年起人民币兑美元累计升幅已超过20％,2012年4月5日人民币中间报价6．3102再创新高。本文根据2008年以来的季度数据测算出人民币的货币替代率．分析中国货币替代程度及降低原因,同时结合Eviews5．0软件。就人民币汇率变动对货币替代现象进行计量分析。结果表明,长期内人民币增值会导致货币替代现象减少。但由于人们判断并做出一个理性决定时需要一个思考过程,且我国目前汇率很大程度上仍受货币当局控制。人们选择决定就会带有一定的滞后性,所以短期内人民币汇率变动对货币替代现象影响不会非常明显。     

投机性货币冲击引发货币危机的条件及防范

由投机性货币冲击所引发的固定汇率制崩溃给实行固定汇率制的国家(或地区)的经济发展蒙上了一层沉重的阴影。为此，本文运用国内外关于货币危机中货币投机性冲击理论的最新研究成果分析了欧洲货币危机和东南亚金融危机中投机冲击致胜的基本条件，进而提出了我国加入WTO后防范和化解人民币危机的相关措施。     

发展中国家的货币错配与汇率制度选择困境

货币错配是诱发发展中国家货币金融危机的一个重要因素,也加大了危机的解决成本。货币错配问题的形成是内外因素双重作用的结果,长期实行的“软”钉住汇率制度是其中的一个重要原因。发展中国家普遍遇到了货币错配与汇率制度选择的两难困境,僵硬的汇率制度为货币错配风险的累积提供了正向激励,加深了货币错配,货币错配程度的加深强化了汇率制度的“浮动恐惧”,必须采取有效措施走出这个困境。     

Optimal exchange rate flexibility with large labor unions

We study the optimal volatility of the exchange rate in a two-country model with sectoral non-atomistic wage setters, non-traded goods, nominal rigidities and alternative pricing assumptions – producer or local currency pricing. Labor unions internalize the sectoral impact of their wage settlements through firms' labor demand. With local currency pricing, exchange rate depreciation raises sales revenue, which in turn boosts domestic consumption and labor demand. Unions anticipate this effect and set higher wages accordingly. With small unions and low wage markup, optimal monetary policy enhances exchange rate movements to improve its terms of trade. With large unions and high wage markup, optimal monetary policy curbs exchange rate movements to restrain inflationary wage demands and to stabilize employment.     

Monetary Policy, Determinacy, and Learnability in a Two-Block World Economy

We study how determinacy and learnability of worldwide rational expectations equilibrium may be affected by monetary policy in a simple, two-country, New Keynesian framework under both fixed and flexible exchange rates. We find that open economy considerations may alter conditions for determinacy and learnability relative to closed economy analyses and that new concerns can arise in the analysis of classic topics such as the desirability of exchange rate targeting and monetary policy cooperation.     

Exchange Rate Changes and Inflation in Post‐Crisis Asian Economies: Vector Autoregression Analysis of the Exchange Rate Pass‐Through

Macro‐economic consequences of large currency depreciations among the crisis‐hit Asian economies varied from one country to another. Inflation did not soar after the Asian currency crisis of 1997–98 in most crisis‐hit countries except Indonesia where high inflation followed a very large nominal depreciation of the rupiah. The high inflation meant a loss of price competitive advantage, a key for economic recovery from a crisis. This paper examines the pass‐through effects of exchange rate changes on the domestic prices in the East Asian economies using a vector autoregression analysis. The main results are as follows: (i) the degree of exchange rate pass‐through to import prices was quite high in the crisis‐hit economies; (ii) the pass‐through to Consumer Price Index (CPI) was generally low, with a notable exception of Indonesia; and (iii) in Indonesia, both the impulse response of monetary policy variables to exchange rate shocks and that of CPI to monetary policy shocks were positive, large, and statistically significant. Thus, Indonesia's accommodative monetary policy, coupled with the high degree of CPI responsiveness to exchange rate changes was an important factor in the inflation‐depreciation spiral in the wake of the currency crisis.