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Balance Sheets and Exchange Rate Policy

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  • Luis Felipe Céspedes
  • Roberto Chang
  • Andrés Velasco

Abstract

We study the relation among exchange rates, balance sheets, and macroeconomic outcomes in a small open economy. Because liabilities are dollarized,' a real devaluation has detrimental effects on entreprenurial net worth, which in turn constrains investment due to financial frictions. But there is an offsetting effect, int hat devaluation expands home output and the return to domestic investment, which are also components of net worth. We show that the impact of an adverse foreign shock can be strongly magnified by the balance sheet effect of the associated real devaluation. But the fall in output employment, and investment is stronger under fixed exchange rates than under flexible rates. Hence the conventional wisdom, that flexible exchange rates are better absorbers of real foreign shocks than are fixed rates, holds in spite of potentially large balance sheet effects.
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Suggested Citation

  • Luis Felipe Céspedes & Roberto Chang & Andrés Velasco, 2004. "Balance Sheets and Exchange Rate Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 1183-1193, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:94:y:2004:i:4:p:1183-1193
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/0002828042002589
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance

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