Is reversion to PPP in euro exchange rates non-linear?

The paper tests for nonlinearities in the adjustment of the euro exchange rate towards purchasing power parity (PPP). It presents new survey based evidence consistent with non-linear patterns in euro exchange rate dynamics. Moreover, based on an exponential smooth transition autoregressive (ESTAR-) model, it finds strong evidence that the speed of mean reversion in euro exchange rates increases non-linearly with the magnitude of the PPP deviation. Accordingly, while the euro real exchange rate can be well approximated by a random walk if PPP deviations are small, in periods of significant deviations, gravitational forces are set to take root and bring the exchange rate back towards its long-term trend. Consistent with higher euro-dollar volatility, deviations from the PPP equilibrium for this pair need to be stronger in order to reach the same adjustment intensity as for other currencies. JEL Classification: F31non-linearities, purchasing power parity, real exchange rate, STAR models

The determinants of the euro-dollar exchange rate: synthetic fundamentals and a non-existing currency

At the beginning of 1999 the euro was launched as a common currency in 11 European countries. This paper addresses empirically the medium to long-term forces driving the real euro-dollar exchange rate. Constructing a synthetic euro-dollar exchange rate over a period from 1975 to 1998 and applying cointegration approaches, four factors are identified as fundamental determinants of the real euro-dollar exchange rate: the international real interest rate differential, relative prices in the traded and non-traded goods sectors, the real oil price and the relative fiscal position. A single equation error correction model outperforms multivariate models and seems to be best suited to analyse and forecast the behaviour of the euro-dollar exchange rate in the medium-term perspective. If this model is applied to the current developments in foreign exchange markets, the external value of the euro appears to be rather low in the winter of 1999/2000. -- Zum Jahresbeginn 1999 wurde der Euro als gemeinsame Währung in 11 europäischen Staaten eingeführt. In der vorliegenden Studie werden die mittel- bis langfristigen Determinanten des Euro empirisch untersucht. Unter Verwendung eines synthetisch berechneten Euro/Dollar-Wechselkurses werden auf der Basis der Kointegrationsanalyse vier Faktoren als fundamentale Bestimmungsgründe des realen Euro/Dollar Wechselkurses identifiziert: die internationale Realzinsdifferenz, das relative Preisverhältnis gehandelter und nicht-gehandelter Güter, der reale Ölpreis und die relative Staatsausgabenquote. Es zeigt sich, daß ein Eingleichungsfehlerkorrekturansatz zu besseren Ergebnissen führt als ein Vektorfehlerkorrekturmodell und damit am besten geeignet scheint, um das Verhalten des Euro/Dollar-Wechselkurses über die mittlere Frist zu analysieren und zu prognostizieren. Eine Anwendung des Modells auf die derzeitige Wechselkurssituation legt die Vermutung nahe, daß der Außenwert des Euro im Winter 1999/2000 recht niedrig bewertet ist.real exchange rates,fundamentals,cointegration,forecast

Evaluating China’s integration in world trade with a gravity model based benchmark

The rapid transition of China from a closed agricultural society to an industrial powerhouse has been associated with a rapid increase in the share of China in world trade. As the world is taking the full measure of this phenomenon, tensions have been arising ranging from holding China partly responsible for global imbalances to complaints about the “excessive” competitiveness of Chinese products. Without a quantifiable benchmark, however, such claims are difficult to judge. This paper therefore provides an assessment of China’s “natural” place in the world economy based on a new set of trade integration indicators. These indicators are used as a benchmark in order to examine whether China’s share in international trade is consistent with fundamentals such as economic size, location and other relevant factors. They constitute a better measure of trade integration that incorporates many more factors than traditional openness ratios. Results show that the model tracks international trade well and confirm that China is already well integrated in world markets, particularly with North America, several Latin American and East Asian emerging markets and most euro area countries. JEL Classification: C23, F15, F14China, Gravity Model, panel data, Trade

Explaining and forecasting euro area exports: which competitiveness indicator performs best?

From a conceptual point of view there is little consensus of what should be the “ideal indicator” of international cost and price competitiveness as each of the standard measures typically employed has its own merits and drawbacks. This calls for addressing the question from an empirical angle, searching for the indicator that best explains and helps forecast export developments. This paper constitutes a first attempt to systematically compare the properties of the alternative cost and price competitiveness measures of the euro area. Although they diverge sometimes, we find little evidence that there is one indicator consistently outperforming the other in terms of explaining and forecasting euro area exports. This suggests that the measures based on consumer and producer prices, which offer some advantages in terms of quality and timeliness, are good approximations of euro area price and cost competitiveness. JEL Classification: F17, F31, F41euro area, exports, forecast, price competitiveness, real exchange rate, Trade

Leading indicators in a globalised world

Using OECD composite leading indicators (CLI), we assess empirically whether the ability of the country- specific CLIs to predict economic activity has diminished in recent years, e.g. due to rapid advances in globalisation. Overall, we find evidence that the CLI encompasses useful information for forecasting industrial production, particularly over horizons of four to eight months ahead. The evidence is particularly strong when taking cointegration relationships into account. At the same time, we find indications that the forecast accuracy has declined over time for several countries. Augmenting the country-specific CLI with a leading indicator of the external environment and employing forecast combination techniques improves the forecast performance for several economies. Over time, the increasing importance of international dependencies is documented by relative performance gains of the extended model for selected countries. JEL Classification: C53, E32, E37, F47business cycle, forecast comparison, Globalisation, Leading Indicator, Structural change

Trade integration of Central and Eastern European countries: lessons from a gravity model

The aim of the paper is to analyse the factors behind the rapid trade integration of the Central and Eastern European countries with the euro area in the past ten years and to gauge the potential for further integration. We use as benchmark an enhanced gravity model estimated with a large sample of bilateral trade flows across 61 countries since 1980. We show that a careful examination of the fixed effects of the model is crucial for the proper interpretation of the results: simply extracting the predicted values of the regression (“in-sample”) – as commonly done in the literature – leads to distorted results as it fails to take the transition process properly into account. As an alternative, we propose a two-stage “out-of-sample” approach. The results suggest that trade integration between most of the largest Central and Eastern European countries and the euro area is already relatively advanced, while the Baltic countries as well as the South Eastern European countries still have significant scope for integration. JEL Classification: C23, F15, F14Central and Eastern European Countries, Free Trade Agreement, Gravity Model, panel data, Transition Economies

Determinants of the euro real effective exchange rate: a BEER/PEER approach

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the medium-term determinants of the euro effective exchange rate. The empirical analysis builds on synthetic quarterly data from 1975 to 1998, and derives a Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) and a Permanent Equilibrium Exchange Rate (PEER). Four different model specifications are retained, due to the difficulties encountered in specifying an encompassing model. Results indicate that differentials in real interest rates and productivity, and (in some specifications) the relative fiscal stance and the real price of oil, have a significant influence on the euro effective exchange rate. Assessing the existence and the extent of the over- or undervaluation of the exchange rate is not straightforward, since these different specifications often lead to contrasting findings. However, all four models point unambiguously to the undervaluation of the euro in 2000, although the extent of this undervaluation largely depends on the specification chosen.euro, equilibrium exchange rates, cointegration, gonzalo- granger decomposition, fundamental analysis, BEER, PEER

Global commodity cycles and linkages a FAVAR approach

In this paper we examine linkages across non-energy commodity price developments by means of a factor-augmented VAR model (FAVAR). From a set of non-energy commodity price series, we extract two factors, which we identify as common trends in metals and a food prices. These factors are included in a FAVAR model together with selected macroeconomic variables, which have been associated with developments in commodity prices. Impulse response functions confirm that exchange rates and of economic activity affect individual nonenergy commodity prices, but we fail to find strong spillovers from oil to non-oil commodity prices or an impact of the interest rate. In addition, we find that individual commodity prices are affected by common trends captured by the food and metals factors. JEL Classification: E3, F3commodity prices, Exchange Rates, FAVAR, Globalisation, Oil Price

Determinants of the euro real effective exchange rate: a BEER/PEER approach

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the medium-term determinants of the euro effective exchange rate. The empirical analysis builds on synthetic quarterly data from 1975 to 1998, and derives a Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) and a Permanent Equilibrium Exchange Rate (PEER). Four different model specifications are retained, due to the difficulties encountered in specifying an encompassing model. Results indicate that differentials in real interest rates and productivity, and (in some specifications) the relative fiscal stance and the real price of oil, have a significant influence on the euro effective exchange rate. Assessing the existence and the extent of the over- or undervaluation of the exchange rate is not straightforward, since these different specifications often lead to contrasting findings. However, all four models point unambiguously to the undervaluation of the euro in 2000, although the extent of this undervaluation largely depends on the specification chosen JEL Classification: F31, F32

Towards the estimation of equilibrium exchange rates for CEE acceding countries: methodological issues and a panel cointegration perspective

This paper provides a discussion of methodological issues relating to the estimation of the long-run relationship between exchange rates and fundamentals for Central and Eastern European acceding countries, focusing on the so-called behavioural equilibrium exchange rate (BEER) approach. Given the limited availability and reliability of data as well as the rapid structural change acceding countries have been undergoing in the transition phase, this paper identifies several pitfalls in following the most straightforward and standard econometric procedures. As an alternative, it looks at the merits of a two-step strategy that consists of estimating the relationship between exchange rates and economic fundamentals in a panel cointegration setting - using a sample which excludes acceding countries - and then "extrapolating" the estimated relationships to the latter. While focusing on the first step of such a strategy, the paper also delves into discussing technical aspects underlying the "extrapolation" stage. As a result, the paper endows the reader with the methodological and empirical ingredients for computing equilibrium exchange rates for acceding countries, providing estimates for the long-run coefficients between real exchange rates and economic fundamentals and a discussion of how to apply these results to acceding countries data. JEL Classification: C23, F31acceding countries, BEER, Equilibrium exchange rates, Panel Cointegration