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Unit Roots, TV-STARs, and the Commodity Terms of Trade: A Further Assessment of the Prebisch-Singer Hypothesis

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  • Balagtas, Joseph Valdes
  • Holt, Matthew T.

Abstract

This paper examines the Prebisch-Singer hypothesis, that is, the hypothesis of a long-run decline in the prices of primary commodity prices relative to that of manufactured goods, by considering nonlinear alternatives. Specifically, in this paper we use bootstrap procedures to test the linear unit root model against models belonging to the family of smooth transition autoregressions (STARs) for 24 commodities, 1900-98. In eighteen cases we reject the linear null at usual significance levels. In fourteen cases we are able to successfully fit STAR-type models. Simulation results show there is very little support for the Prebisch-Singer hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Balagtas, Joseph Valdes & Holt, Matthew T., 2006. "Unit Roots, TV-STARs, and the Commodity Terms of Trade: A Further Assessment of the Prebisch-Singer Hypothesis," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21405, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea06:21405
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.21405
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ricardo Azevedo Araujo, 2016. "Assessing the dynamics of terms of trade inamodelof cumulative causation andstructural change," Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Center of Political Economy, vol. 36(1), pages 150-167.

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