Exchange Rate Misalignment and Growth: A Myth?


Book Description

The impact of real exchange rate movements on GDP growth is a hotly debated issue both in policy and academic circles. In this paper, we provide evidence suggesting that the association between exchange rate misalignment and growth for a broad panel of countries is very weak. Controlling for country fixed effects, time effects and initial GDP, a more depreciated currency is associated with higher growth if one does not exclude outliers. However, this positive association always vanishes after controling for the savings rate. Importantly, this applies for both a large panel of countries and for the emerging economies subsample.




Exchange Rate Misalignment and Growth: A Myth?


Book Description

The impact of real exchange rate movements on GDP growth is a hotly debated issue both in policy and academic circles. In this paper, we provide evidence suggesting that the association between exchange rate misalignment and growth for a broad panel of countries is very weak. Controlling for country fixed effects, time effects and initial GDP, a more depreciated currency is associated with higher growth if one does not exclude outliers. However, this positive association always vanishes after controling for the savings rate. Importantly, this applies for both a large panel of countries and for the emerging economies subsample.




Thirlwall's Law at 40


Book Description

2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the publication of Anthony P. Thirlwall’s classic paper that laid out what became known as Thirlwall’s law. This article introduced and provided empirical evidence in favor of the proposition that the long-run rate of growth of an economy compatible with balance-of-payments equilibrium can be approximated by the simple rule of the ratio of the growth of exports to the income elasticity of demand for imports.




Regional Economic Outlook, April 2018, Western Hemisphere Department


Book Description

The world economy and global trade are experiencing a broad-based cyclical upswing. Since October 2017, global growth outcomes and the outlook for 2018–19 have improved across all regions, reinforced by the expected positive near-term spillovers from tax policy changes in the United States. Accommodative global financial conditions, despite some tightening and market volatility in early February 2018, have been providing support to economic recovery. Higher commodity prices are contributing to an improved outlook for commodity exporters. The US and Canadian economies posted solid gains in 2017 and are expected to grow above potential in the near term. Despite the improved near-term outlook, however, medium-term prospects are tilted downwards. Growth prospects for advanced economies are subdued and many emerging market and developing economies are projected to grow in per capita terms more slowly than advanced economies, raising concerns about income convergence. While risks appear broadly balanced in the near term, they skew to the downside over the medium term, including a possible sharp tightening of financial conditions, waning popular support for global economic integration, growing trade tensions and risks of a shift toward protectionist policies, and geopolitical strains.




The US-China Trade Dispute


Book Description

'Imad Moosa reminds us that there are at least two sides to a relationship – including those in trade – and that failure of a relationship is rarely due to one side alone. Moosa handles the technicalities of exchange rates dexterously but reminds us constantly of the wider context of the trade relationships that determine them.' – Paul Rule, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia Dealing with a topic that has attracted significant media attention, this highly accessible book provides a detailed analysis of the trade dispute between China and the US. While the Americans accuse China of damaging their economy, the Chinese claim their policies are legitimate and that the US has no right to dictate how the Chinese economy should be run. Imad Moosa addresses contentious issues including: whether the Chinese currency is undervalued, whether the undervaluation of the yuan, should it exist, is the cause of the US trade deficit with China (hence revaluation being a justifiable cure) and whether Chinese economic policies are immoral and illegal according to IMF and WTO rules. This challenging and thought provoking book will prove a stimulating read for academics, researchers, students and policymakers with an interest in international economics, international finance, political economy and Asian studies.




Capital Account Liberation


Book Description

Along with the development of economic globalization, many countries have begun to relax their controls on their capital accounts. However, the recent financial crises in Latin American countries as well as the exchange rate crises in Southeast Asian countries have shown that there is major risk associated with capital account liberalization.This b




The Economics of Globalization


Book Description

The growing economic openness expressed in the globalization of independent economic systems has created problems as well as opportunities that cross formal borders in unexpected ways. Professors Assaf Razin and Efraim Sadka explore the ramifications of globalization in selected public finance issue areas. Seven main topics are covered by the sixteen papers in the volume: the international mobility of technology; capital flows and exchange rate misalignments; tax incentives and patterns of capital flows; income redistribution and social insurance in federal systems; tax harmonization and coordination; political economy aspects of international tax competition; the migration of skilled and unskilled labour; and the fiscal aspects of monetary unification.




Hysteresis and Business Cycles


Book Description

Traditionally, economic growth and business cycles have been treated independently. However, the dependence of GDP levels on its history of shocks, what economists refer to as “hysteresis,” argues for unifying the analysis of growth and cycles. In this paper, we review the recent empirical and theoretical literature that motivate this paradigm shift. The renewed interest in hysteresis has been sparked by the persistence of the Global Financial Crisis and fears of a slow recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. The findings of the recent literature have far-reaching conceptual and policy implications. In recessions, monetary and fiscal policies need to be more active to avoid the permanent scars of a downturn. And in good times, running a high-pressure economy could have permanent positive effects.




Theory and Applications of Time Series Analysis


Book Description

This book presents a selection of peer-reviewed contributions on the latest advances in time series analysis, presented at the International Conference on Time Series and Forecasting (ITISE 2019), held in Granada, Spain, on September 25-27, 2019. The first two parts of the book present theoretical contributions on statistical and advanced mathematical methods, and on econometric models, financial forecasting and risk analysis. The remaining four parts include practical contributions on time series analysis in energy; complex/big data time series and forecasting; time series analysis with computational intelligence; and time series analysis and prediction for other real-world problems. Given this mix of topics, readers will acquire a more comprehensive perspective on the field of time series analysis and forecasting. The ITISE conference series provides a forum for scientists, engineers, educators and students to discuss the latest advances and implementations in the foundations, theory, models and applications of time series analysis and forecasting. It focuses on interdisciplinary research encompassing computer science, mathematics, statistics and econometrics.




Managing Economic Volatility in Latin America


Book Description

How has Latin America coped with external shocks and economic vulnerabilities in the aftermath of the global financial crisis? Managing Economic Volatility in Latin America looks at how the region has fared in recent years in an environment of uncertainty. It presents a collection of novel contributions on capital flows, terms of trade, and macroeconomic policy in Latin America. The rigorous expert analysis offers an up-to-date guide to many of the key economic policy questions in the region. Chapters focus on important analytical issues, including assessing reserves adequacy and current account levels. The roles of macroeconomic policies and exchange rates regimes in coping with large capital inflows are examined, as well as the effectiveness of both monetary policy and fiscal policy in dealing with economic challenges in the region.