IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/2138.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Our LDC Debts

Author

Listed:
  • Rudiger Dornbusch

Abstract

The U.S. has significant interests involved in the world debt problem. It affects the profitability and even the stability of our banking system, but the debt problem also matters because debt service requires trade surpluses for debt- ors. Debtor countries have made their goods extra competitive, are selling in our market and are competing with our exports. The debt problem is therefore a part, though perhaps a small part, of the U.S. trade crisis. Finally we have a major foreign policy stake in the debt crisis in that debt collection brings about social and political instability. The paper sets out debt facts, followed with a brief look at the origins of the debt problem. The "transfer problem" is the general framework in which we discuss the problem of debt service for the debtor countries. We then discuss bank exposure and the quality of debts. The paper then addresses the trade implications of debt service and concludes with an overview of alternative proposals for solving the debt problem.

Suggested Citation

  • Rudiger Dornbusch, 1987. "Our LDC Debts," NBER Working Papers 2138, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2138
    Note: ITI IFM
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w2138.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. N/A, 1985. "Asia," India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, , vol. 41(1), pages 80-87, January.
    2. Paul De Grauwe & Michele Fratianni, 1984. "The Political Economy of International Lending," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 4(1), pages 147-184, Spring/Su.
    3. Larry A. Sjaastad, 1983. "International Debt Quagmire — to Whom do We Owe It?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(3), pages 305-324, September.
    4. Jurg Niehans, 1985. "International debt with unenforceable claims," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Win, pages 64-79.
    5. Daniel Cohen & Jeffrey Sachs, 1991. "Growth and External Debt Under Risk of Debt Repudiation," NBER Chapters, in: International Volatility and Economic Growth: The First Ten Years of The International Seminar on Macroeconomics, pages 437-472, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Eichengreen, Barry & Portes, Richard, 1986. "Debt and default in the 1930s : Causes and consequences," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 599-640, June.
    7. Edwards, Sebastian, 1986. "The pricing of bonds and bank loans in international markets : An empirical analysis of developing countries' foreign borrowing," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 565-589, June.
    8. Fishlow, Albert, 1985. "Lessons from the past: capital markets during the 19th century and the interwar period," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 39(3), pages 383-439, July.
    9. Mr. Ulrich Baumgartner & Mr. G. G. Johnson & K. Burke Dillon & R. C. Williams & Mr. Peter M Keller & Maria Tyler & Bahram Nowzad & Mr. G. Russell Kincaid & Mr. Tomás Reichmann, 1981. "External Indebtedness of Developing Countries," IMF Occasional Papers 1981/002, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Martin Feldstein, 1986. "International Debt Service and Economic Growth: Some Simple Analytics," NBER Working Papers 2076, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dylan McGee, Christopher, 2007. "Sovereign bond markets with political risk and moral hazard," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 186-201.
    2. José Wong, 2000. "Are changes in spreads of external-market debt also induced by contagion?," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 35(2), pages 72-80, March.
    3. Sebastian Edwards, 1989. "Structural Adjustment Policies in Highly Indebted Countries," NBER Chapters, in: Developing Country Debt and Economic Performance, Volume 1: The International Financial System, pages 159-208, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Froot, Kenneth A, 1989. "Buybacks, Exit Bonds, and the Optimality of Debt and Liquidity Relief," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 30(1), pages 49-70, February.
    5. Sebastian Edwards, 2000. "Capital Flows, Real Exchange Rates, and Capital Controls: Some Latin American Experiences," NBER Chapters, in: Capital Flows and the Emerging Economies: Theory, Evidence, and Controversies, pages 197-246, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Sebastian Edwards, 1990. "Capital Flows, Foreign Direct Investment, and Debt-Equity Swaps in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 3497, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Paul R. Krugman, 1989. "Private Capital Flows to Problem Debtors," NBER Chapters, in: Developing Country Debt and Economic Performance, Volume 1: The International Financial System, pages 299-330, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Stephan Koren, 1992. "Debt relief for Eastern Europe — Its costs and the distribution of proceeds: Some preliminary results," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 128(4), pages 639-661, December.
    9. Cohen, Daniel, 1988. "Is the discount on the secondary market a case for LDC debt relief?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 132, The World Bank.
    10. Sebastian Edwards, 1998. "Capital Inflows into Latin America: A Stop-Go Story?," NBER Working Papers 6441, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Paul R. Krugman, 1988. "Market-Based Debt-Reduction Schemes," NBER Working Papers 2587, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Turvey, Calum G. & Chantarat, Sommarat, 2006. "Weather-Linked Bonds," 2006 Agricultural and Rural Finance Markets in Transition, October 2-3, 2006, Washington, DC 133091, Regional Research Committee NC-1014: Agricultural and Rural Finance Markets in Transition.
    13. Joseph Atta-Mensah, 2004. "Commodity-Linked Bonds: A Potential Means for Less-Developed Countries to Raise Foreign Capital," Staff Working Papers 04-20, Bank of Canada.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Peter H. Lindert & Peter J. Morton, 1989. "How Sovereign Debt Has Worked," NBER Chapters, in: Developing Country Debt and the World Economy, pages 225-236, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Barry Eichengreen, 1991. "Historical Research on International Lending and Debt," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 149-169, Spring.
    3. Chow, Edward H., 1998. "Oil crises and sovereign debt's private financingedward," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 437-452.
    4. Mr. Barry J. Eichengreen & Ms. Asmaa A ElGanainy & Rui Pedro Esteves & Kris James Mitchener, 2019. "Public Debt Through the Ages," IMF Working Papers 2019/006, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Barry Eichengreen, 1989. "The US Capital Market and Foreign Lending, 1920–1955," NBER Chapters, in: Developing Country Debt and the World Economy, pages 237-248, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Hernandez-Trillo, Fausto, 1995. "A model-based estimation of the probability of default in sovereign credit markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 163-179, February.
    7. Jeffrey D. Sachs, 1987. "International Policy Coordination: The Case of the Developing Country Debt Crisis," NBER Working Papers 2287, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Alogoskoufis, George & Malliaris, A.G. & Stengos, Thanasis, 2023. "The scope and methodology of economic and financial asymmetries," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    9. Peter Nunnenkamp*, 1985. "Bank Lending to Developing Countries and Possible Solutions to International Debt Problems," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 555-577, November.
    10. Bulow, Jeremy & Rogoff, Kenneth, 1989. "A Constant Recontracting Model of Sovereign Debt," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(1), pages 155-178, February.
    11. Mr. Jochen R. Andritzky & Julian Schumacher, 2019. "Long-Term Returns in Distressed Sovereign Bond Markets: How Did Investors Fare?," IMF Working Papers 2019/138, International Monetary Fund.
    12. Alejandro Guerson, 2006. "Fiscal Policy for Good: Reducing Macroeconomic Volatility in Uruguay," EcoMod2006 272100035, EcoMod.
    13. Nunnenkamp, Peter & Funke, Norbert & Schweickert, Rainer, 1992. "International capital flows: recent developments, major determinants, and the position of Brazil in worldwide competition for foreign capital," Kiel Working Papers 509, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    14. Barry Eichengreen & Asmaa El-Ganainy & Rui Esteves & Kris James Mitchener, 2019. "Public Debt Through the Ages," NBER Working Papers 25494, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Nunnenkamp, Peter, 1986. "Bank lending and government intervention in capital markets: Has recycling gone too far?," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 1974, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    16. Sule Ozler, 1992. "Have Commercial Banks Ignored History?," NBER Working Papers 3959, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Ferhan Salman, 2005. "Risk Aversion, Sovereign Bonds and Risk Premium," Working Papers 0514, Research and Monetary Policy Department, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.
    18. Marc Flandreau & Juan H. Flores & Norbert Gaillard & Sebastián Nieto-Parra, 2010. "The End of Gatekeeping: Underwriters and the Quality of Sovereign Bond Markets, 1815–2007," NBER Chapters, in: NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics 2009, pages 53-92, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Carré, Sylvain & Cohen, Daniel & Villemot, Sébastien, 2019. "The sources of sovereign risk: a calibration based on Lévy stochastic processes," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 31-43.
    20. John Armour, 2006. "Should we redistribute in insolvency," Working Papers wp319, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2138. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.