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Essays on Trade, Growth and Exchange Rates

Lundbäck, Jerker Stefan Göran LU (1998) In Lund Economic Studies 73.
Abstract
In the first chapter we test if Purchasing Power Parity, PPP, is empirically valid and when that is not the case we test if productivity growth differences can account for the deviations from PPP by co-integration analysis. Interestingly, the results lend support in favour of PPP in several cases and when PPP is rejected GDP per capita growth rate differences seem to explain the long-run deviations from PPP. This suggests that the empirical failure of PPP is not only a statistical problem, but in fact has a reasonable economic explanation.



In the second chapter we analyse if the terms of trade are stable even if countries' growth rates differ in the long-run as implied by the concept of balanced growth and Krugman's... (More)
In the first chapter we test if Purchasing Power Parity, PPP, is empirically valid and when that is not the case we test if productivity growth differences can account for the deviations from PPP by co-integration analysis. Interestingly, the results lend support in favour of PPP in several cases and when PPP is rejected GDP per capita growth rate differences seem to explain the long-run deviations from PPP. This suggests that the empirical failure of PPP is not only a statistical problem, but in fact has a reasonable economic explanation.



In the second chapter we analyse if the terms of trade are stable even if countries' growth rates differ in the long-run as implied by the concept of balanced growth and Krugman's 45-degree-rule. Using quarterly data for the G-5 countries, covering the period 1960:1-1989:4, the general conclusion from the study in this chapter is that terms of trade tend to be non-stationary or trend- stationary when countries' long-run growth rates differ. In particular we find that countries with higher growth rates tend have improving terms of trade. In the third chapter we analyse the effects of productivity growth on terms of trade and real exchange rates, in a model of monopolistic competition with non-tradable goods where we eventually include trade costs. In general, the terms of trade and the real exchange rate will change in response to productivity growth. In the presence of trade costs the terms of trade improve at the same time as the increased productivity increases the wage rate thereby creating an appreciating pressure on the real exchange rate which is a result that corresponds to the actual observed behaviour of terms of trade and real exchange rates between industrial countries.



The fourth chapter examines the influence of demand on the pattern of net trade. First, it is found that demand differences are important as a cause of international trade. In fact, for the majority of countries, demand factors explain more of the net trade pattern than do factor proportions. Second, the evidence offers some support for the modern theories: high domestic demand in an industry leads to a net export for the majority of cases. The evidence is however not clear-cut. Third, a demand bias in favour of domestic varieties seems to lead to a net export. All in all, therefore the results are favourable to the geography-type of trade models.



Finally, in the last chapter we ask if there is a trade-off between the variability in the nominal exchange rate and the variability in the interest rate differential. The data is divided into two samples the period 1983-1991 when the SEK was tied by a target zone against a basket of major currencies, and the period 1993-1995 when the SEK floated freely or was implicitly managed through the central bank's low inflation target. The answer is that, yes there is a trade-off. The higher exchange rate variability in the floating period 1993-1995 is mirrored by reduced variability in the interest rate difference. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • professor Greenaway, David, University of Nottingham
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
International commerce, Internationell ekonomi
in
Lund Economic Studies
volume
73
pages
130 pages
publisher
Department of Economics, Lund University
defense location
Holger Crafoords ekonomicentrum, Lund, Sweden
defense date
1998-03-24 10:00:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: LUSADG/SANA-98/1055-SE
ISSN
0460-0029
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c5b73d82-ff75-48cb-868a-4dde67973750 (old id 38429)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:37:33
date last changed
2019-05-21 16:19:47
@phdthesis{c5b73d82-ff75-48cb-868a-4dde67973750,
  abstract     = {{In the first chapter we test if Purchasing Power Parity, PPP, is empirically valid and when that is not the case we test if productivity growth differences can account for the deviations from PPP by co-integration analysis. Interestingly, the results lend support in favour of PPP in several cases and when PPP is rejected GDP per capita growth rate differences seem to explain the long-run deviations from PPP. This suggests that the empirical failure of PPP is not only a statistical problem, but in fact has a reasonable economic explanation.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In the second chapter we analyse if the terms of trade are stable even if countries' growth rates differ in the long-run as implied by the concept of balanced growth and Krugman's 45-degree-rule. Using quarterly data for the G-5 countries, covering the period 1960:1-1989:4, the general conclusion from the study in this chapter is that terms of trade tend to be non-stationary or trend- stationary when countries' long-run growth rates differ. In particular we find that countries with higher growth rates tend have improving terms of trade. In the third chapter we analyse the effects of productivity growth on terms of trade and real exchange rates, in a model of monopolistic competition with non-tradable goods where we eventually include trade costs. In general, the terms of trade and the real exchange rate will change in response to productivity growth. In the presence of trade costs the terms of trade improve at the same time as the increased productivity increases the wage rate thereby creating an appreciating pressure on the real exchange rate which is a result that corresponds to the actual observed behaviour of terms of trade and real exchange rates between industrial countries.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The fourth chapter examines the influence of demand on the pattern of net trade. First, it is found that demand differences are important as a cause of international trade. In fact, for the majority of countries, demand factors explain more of the net trade pattern than do factor proportions. Second, the evidence offers some support for the modern theories: high domestic demand in an industry leads to a net export for the majority of cases. The evidence is however not clear-cut. Third, a demand bias in favour of domestic varieties seems to lead to a net export. All in all, therefore the results are favourable to the geography-type of trade models.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Finally, in the last chapter we ask if there is a trade-off between the variability in the nominal exchange rate and the variability in the interest rate differential. The data is divided into two samples the period 1983-1991 when the SEK was tied by a target zone against a basket of major currencies, and the period 1993-1995 when the SEK floated freely or was implicitly managed through the central bank's low inflation target. The answer is that, yes there is a trade-off. The higher exchange rate variability in the floating period 1993-1995 is mirrored by reduced variability in the interest rate difference.}},
  author       = {{Lundbäck, Jerker Stefan Göran}},
  issn         = {{0460-0029}},
  keywords     = {{International commerce; Internationell ekonomi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Economic Studies}},
  title        = {{Essays on Trade, Growth and Exchange Rates}},
  volume       = {{73}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}