Exchange rate volatility and agricultural trade under policy reforms in South Africa

Decades of government intervention have helped develop the South African agriculture sector to its present state. Policy reforms have included trade and exchange rate policies to increase the country's international competitiveness, reduce poverty and promote economic growth. These reforms are facilitating the growth in agricultural trade and South Africa's reintegration into the global economy. Annual agricultural exports and imports have increased. This paper uses annual data and a vector error-correction model to investigate the supply and demand relationships for agricultural trade flows in South Africa during the past four decades. The results show that prices, real exchange rates, domestic production capacity and real incomes have significant impacts on the country's agricultural trade. In particular, exchange rate volatility has negative impacts. This cannot be viewed solely as an exogenous source of macroeconomic instability in South Africa, as domestic policies play a crucial role in influencing the movement of exchange rates.     

Spillovers from foreign direct investment in services: Evidence at sub-sectoral level for the Asia-Pacific

We take a sectoral level approach to analyzing the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. We disaggregate FDI first by manufacturing versus services, then within services by financial services, trade services, and business services. We consider the effects of FDI inflows on growth of GDP per capita, then distinguish between growth in manufacturing and services value added per capita. Our data sample comprises 14 Asia Pacific economies for the period 1985–2012 to which we apply a dynamic panel generalized method of moments estimation technique. Services FDI as a whole is found to have a significantly positive impact on GDP growth while manufacturing FDI is found to have no effect. The impetus for growth from services FDI traces to financial services in particular, acting not only directly on service sector output but through manufacturing sector output as well. By contrast, trade services FDI is found to have a significantly negative effect on manufacturing output with no significant effect on services output. Foreign participation in trade services may act to expose domestic manufacturers to international competition and may also lead to domestic consolidation to take advantage of economies of scale.     

Trade and the structure of South African production, 1984-97

With the onset of trade liberalisation, fears have been raised concerning the impact of trade on manufacturing output, employment and growth. Using an input–output methodology, this article decomposes South African output growth between 1984 and 1997 into final demand expansion, trade flows and technology. There are two main findings. First, trade liberalisation has not deindustrialised the manufacturing sector. Although import penetration has risen, export growth has matched and exceeded the potential import-induced losses in domestic production. South Africa's response thus conforms closely to international evidence. Secondly, a combination of strong growth in capital-intensive exports and import penetration in ultra-labour-intensive sectors has aided the structural shift in production towards capital-intensive sectors. However, capital-biased supply-side policies, as well as endemic problems within ultra-labour-intensive sectors, suggest that domestic factors and not trade liberalisation lie behind this shift.     

资源中间品贸易下的经济增长与资源节约

本文在Solow模型框架下引入了资源中间品生产部门,在开放条件下分析了资源中间品贸易下贸易小国经济增长的基本路径,并考察了资源节约对资源中间品贸易和经济增长的影响。结果表明,资源中间品部门的资本存量和产量与资源中间品的国际价格呈正比,但与本国资本存量的总体规模无关。依据资源中间品的贸易模式,经济增长可以被划分为专业化分工、资源中间品出口和资源中间品进口三个阶段。通常经济增长会在第三阶段进入稳定状态,但当资源中间品国际价格足够低时,贸易小国可以突破资源禀赋存量的约束,实现可持续增长。资源节约可以提高可持续增长的资源中间品临界价格以及稳状资本存量,从而拓展经济增长空间。     

The Structure of Protection in Indonesia in 1989 1

Around the mid-1980s, Indonesia's protectionist regime supported an industrial structure in which industries were mainly oriented towards producing for the domestic market. Since then, trade policies have shifted to a more outward-looking strategy, stimulating the growth and diversification of non-oil manufactured exports. This paper attempts to quantify the nominal and effective rates of protection resulting from trade policies at the end of the 1980s. After an introduction in which the 1989 trade policies are discussed, estimates of nominal and effective rates of protection are presented. It is shown that though the level of protection has declined since 1987, it still varies widely across economic sectors. Furthermore, despite the more open trade strategy, the paper's findings show that the trade regime remains biased against exports. Finally, by examining some trade policy issues, the paper presents further ways of rationalising the structure of protection in Indonesia's industrial sector.     

The Information Revolution in the Asian-Pacific Region

In this paper, an attempt is made to survey literature dealing with these developments in the Asian-Pacific region. Section I explores the information sector. Section II focuses on telecommunications, the leading edge of the information infrastructure. Section III reviews writing about 'IT-led development', the view of information technology as a powerful tool for the promotion of socioeconomic development. Section IV looks at the role of the World Bank, the largest single hard-currency source of finance for telecommunications in developing countries. Section V reports on some aspects of IT trade and internationalisation. Section VI provides summary country case studies. Section VII raises some questions about the link between telecommunications and economic development.     

中间品进口对我国制造业行业人均产出的影响——对1999-2003年28个行业的实证研究

中间品进口一方面可以促进本国制造业企业的发展,另一方面也会对本国同类中间品生产厂商产生负面的竞争效应.本文综合考虑这两种影响,采用2002年投入产出表和相应行业的进出口数据将中间品进口分为水平型的中间品进口和垂直型的中间品进口.然后分析1999-2003年28个制造业行业的中间品进口对行业人均产出的影响.实证分析表明,水平型的中间品进口对行业人均产出的增长率只存在不显著的抑制作用;但是垂直型中间品进口对行业人均产出增长率有明显的正面影响.     

Financial Sector Reforms,Bank Performance and Economic Growth: Evidence from Zambia

Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of market‐based financial sector reforms on the competitiveness and efficiency of commercial banks, and economic growth, in Zambia. The results show that reforms adopted in Phase II (strengthening of regulatory and supervisory, payments and settlements, and financial operations frameworks) and Phase III (implementation of a comprehensive financial sector development plan) had significant positive effects on bank cost efficiency. Macroeconomic variables such as per capita GDP and inflation were insignificant. Further, using an endogenous growth model in which industrial production is a proxy for GDP growth, it was found that bank cost efficiency, financial depth, Phase II and III financial sector reforms, the degree of economic openness, and rate of inflation were significant determinants of economic growth. Phase II policies and the inflation rate have negative effects while the rest of the variables have positive effects on economic growth. Some plausible policy lessons are offered.     

国际投机资本流入中国的贸易根源

国际投机资本流动的根本目的在于取得利率、汇率或资产价格上涨的收益,在资本项目受到严格管制及贸易顺差情况下,我国的国际贸易一方面为国际投机资本提供了进入的渠道,另一方面,贸易顺差是吸引投机资本流入的原动力。中国的经济增长对于贸易的依赖以及中国的贸易模式对汇率的敏感性使得国内金融市场的价格扭曲、人民币预期升值率持续上升从而吸引资本流入。     

Learning and the capital goods sector under free trade: The case of Hongkong

Attention is focused on technological change and attendant learning processes in the more industrialized Third World countries. The importance of relatively simple learning processes is stressed and the conditions necessary for facilitating more complex forms of learning - particularly protection and promotion - are examined. Here it is shown that the capital goods sector is of central importance. The case-study material deals with the machine- producing sector in Hong Kong, chosen as the representative case of free trade and minimal government intervention, and comparison is made with learning processes in a number of other more industrialized Third World Countries including India, Argentina and Taiwan. In the final section the implications of the discussion of learning for theories and techniques of investment allocation - including social cost-benefit analysis, the effective rate of protection and the related domestic cost of foreign exchange - are examined.     

Prices,output and the trade balance in Iran

This paper analyses the impact of the rise in oil prices on domestic inflation, the trade balance, and output growth in Iran for the period 1960–1977. A macro framework is developed in which the domestic spending of oil revenues results in higher output, inflation and imports. Our results indicate that, although the overall growth remained high, the rapid increase in oil revenues in 1973–1974 was mainly reflected in higher inflation and higher imports. In the absence of any exchange rate adjustment, there was a sharp deterioration in the competitive position of the non-oil traded sector.     

Impact of financial development on domestic investment: Evidence from West African countries

This paper investigates the effect of financial development on domestic investment in West African countries. The study uses data from 1985 to 2019 and employs the pooled mean group technique. The main finding of the study is that financial development has a positive effect on domestic investment in the long run but an insignificant effect in the short run. Furthermore, remittances, real GDP per capita and trade openness increase investment rate. The results of causality tests support the view that investment is a channel through which financial development stimulates economic growth. Therefore, it is reasonable for the selected countries to formulate policies that promote domestic credit to the private sector in order to ease liquidity constraints and increase investment and economic growth.     

Re‐Visiting Financial Development and Economic Growth Nexus: The Role of Capitalization in Bangladesh

This paper revisits the relationship between financial development and economic growth in Bangladesh by incorporating trade openness in production function using quarter frequency data over the period of 1976‐2012. We applied combined Bayer–Hanck cointegration approach to examine cointegration among the series. Our empirical evidence suggests that development of financial sector facilitates economic growth but capitalization impedes it. In addition, trade openness stimulates economic growth. Labour is also positively linked to economic growth. The vector error correction model Granger causality results divulge that financial development causes real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth, and resultantly, real per capita GDP growth causes financial development in a Granger sense. The results also show that trade and labour Granger cause economic growth. The findings of the paper provide insights for policymakers to use financial development and trade openness as a tool for sustained economic growth in the long run. The paper also suggests policymakers to utilise capitalization in a way that is beneficial for economic growth of Bangladesh.     

对外贸易、经济增长与趋同发展——基于东盟国家1990～2009年面板数据的实证研究

本文集中研究东盟国家贸易发展、经济增长与趋同问题,并对1990～2009年间东盟国家贸易发展指标对经济增长和经济趋同的作用和影响进行实证检验。我们得出结论:在促进经济增长方面,东盟国家致力于发展外向型经济、放松管制以及AFTA等制度安排是有效的;而在推动东盟国家经济发展趋同、缩小成员国收入水平差距方面,目前东盟各国的贸易发展政策和实践却没有显示出显著的积极效应。文章首先介绍了东盟国家贸易发展的基本情况;其次分析东盟各国经济增长和发展水平及存在的差距;再次就贸易发展指标与经济增长、收入差距之间的关系进行实证检验,分析其原因;最后进行总结,并就东盟贸易和经济发展以及对世界经济的影响等问题提了几点看法。     

Disequilibrium analysis in developing economies: An overview

Disequilibrium is ubiquitous in most developing economies. In product markets, disequilibrium is pervasive in the tradeable goods sector due to foreign trade restrictions. In general, protection discriminates among domestic products, between domestic and foreign goods, and between domestic and foreign sales of any given commodity. Disequilibrium is also common in factor markets. Capital markets are frequently distorted by interest-rate ceilings and credit rationing. Labour markets are subjected to differential income tax rates, minimum wages and social security levies. Here, the techniques developed to analyse product and factor market disequilibrium and the empirical evidence measuring the economic costs of policy-imposed distortions are reviewed.     

An analysis of the impact of the first phase of South Africa's motor industry development programme (midp), 1995–2000

The South African motor vehicle industry is an important branch of the local manufacturing sector, contributing significantly to manufacturing value added and employment. Over the last decade, the local industry has undergone a series of policy reforms, and in recent years has increasingly been exposed to globalisation. This article reviews the role of government policy in shaping the industry, and examines the impact of the first phase of the Motor Industry Development Programme on the industry for the period 1995–2000 in respect of domestic production, automotive industry employment, export performance and the automotive trade balance. The article concludes that even though the industry registered strong export growth that contributed to improving the automotive trade deficit, it was deficient in sustaining domestic production and employment levels. The imminent challenge for the local industry's development is to maintain its export growth trajectory in the long term in the absence of costly government protective incentive mechanisms.     

Exchange Rate Pass-through in a Small Open Economy: the Importance of the Distribution Sector

The degree of exchange rate pass-through to domestic goods prices has important implications for monetary policy in small open economies with floating exchange rates. Evidence indicates that pass-through is faster to import prices than to consumer prices. Price setting behaviour in the distribution sector is suggested as one important explanation. If distribution costs and trade margins are important price components of imported consumer goods, adjustment of import prices and consumer prices to exchange rate movements may differ. We present evidence on these issues for Norway by estimating a cointegrated VAR model for the pricing behaviour in the distribution sector, paying particular attention to exchange rate channels likely to operate through trade margins. Embedding this model into a large scale macroeconometric model of the Norwegian economy, which inter alia includes the pricing-to-market hypothesis and price-wage and wage-wage spirals between industries, we find exchange rate pass-through to be quite rapid to import prices and fairly slow to consumer prices. We show the importance of the pricing behaviour in the distribution sector in that trade margins act as cushions to exchange rate fluctuations, thereby delaying pass-through significantly to consumer prices. A forecasting exercise demonstrates that exchange rate pass-through to trade margins has not changed in the wake of the financial crises and the switch to inflation targeting. We also find significant inflationary effects of exchange rate changes even in the short run, an insight important for inflation targeting central banks.     

Trade Policy Versus Competition Policy: Substitutes or Complements?

This paper deals with the difference between trade policy and competition policy for domestic prices, wages, and employment when product and labour markets are imperfectly competitive. We show that in the presence of country-specific institutions like trade unions, trade policy and competition policy are no longer substitutes in disciplining product and labour market distortions. While both domestic entry and foreign imports affect domestic price-cost margins, they differ in their effectiveness and their impact on the domestic labour market. The results in this paper suggest that enforcement of competition policy without a sufficient degree of openness to imports is typically not a first-best outcome. While domestic entry increases union welfare, foreign imports reduce it. Competition policy in the presence of labour unions is insufficient to reduce labour market distortions, while international competition reduces both labour and product distortions.     

Value,Structure and Spatial Distribution of Interprovincial Trade in China

This study uses two different datasets to explore the stylized facts of interprovincial trade in China during the recent two decades. One dataset provides the magnitude of bilateral interprovincial goods trade calculated using firms' value‐added tax invoices. The other supplies estimates of interprovincial trade using provincial input–output tables. We find that China has both a large value and a high growth rate of interprovincial trade, but there still exists a home bias in internal trade for most provinces. In addition, disaggregation by product shows that the manufacturing sector has the largest share of interprovincial trade and this share continues to grow. Finally, the spatial distribution of trade suggests that all provinces can be clustered into a smaller number of trade areas with large intra‐cluster trade. Therefore, China's central government should make more effort to reduce local protection, stimulate domestic demand and coordinate interregional trade among local jurisdictions.     

全球疫情冲击下的我国央行最优货币政策选择

在全球新冠病毒疫情冲击下，外国需求降低和国际大宗商品价格波动对我国实体经济造成了冲击，文章通过构建包含贸易和非贸易两部门的开放经济DSGE模型，利用脉冲响应和福利分析研究央行"双政策双工具"下的最优货币政策组合。结果表明："保增长"的利率政策和"稳汇率"的汇率政策，能够更好的缓释新冠疫情带来的外部冲击，在"保增长"的利率政策下家庭福利水平高于"防通胀"的利率政策，而在"稳汇率"的汇率政策下家庭福利水平高于"稳货币"的汇率政策，因此，通过确定"保增长"和"稳汇率"的货币政策短期目标更有利于缓释外部环境对于本国贸易部门的冲击。