The Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Japanese Consumption Exports

Abstract

This paper investigates how exchange rates affect Japanese exports. This is difficult because many of Japan’s exports are used to produce goods for re-export. An appreciation in the importing country that decreases exports can decrease its imported inputs from Japan. To correct for this bias the authors examine consumption exports. Using a panel dataset of Japan’s consumption exports to 17 countries over the 1988–2009 period, they found that a 10% appreciation of the yen would reduce Japan’s consumption goods exports by 9%. These results indicate that the large swings in the value of the yen over the last decade have caused large swings in the volume of Japanese exports.exchange rate elasticities; japanese consumption exports