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Why Did Argentina's Currency Board Collapse?

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  • François J. Gurtner

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the risks associated with currency board arrangements, referring to the severe liquidity crisis that emerged in Argentina in November 2000. The inability of the Argentinean economy to grow because of an overvalued peso and the massive borrowing needs of the government in the context of rapidly rising borrowing costs seriously undermined the credibility of the fixed‐exchange rate regime. Given the widespread dollarisation of the financial sector on the liability side, Argentina had arguably little choice but to stick to the currency board. A series of measures aimed at reviving growth were implemented but with no signs of upturn in demand, increasingly distrustful international investors and growing social unrest, the country was forced into default in December 2001, putting an abrupt end to its decade long experiment with hard money. This study shows that with rigid labour markets, a lack of fiscal discipline and the absence of a natural anchor currency, Argentina was never a strong candidate for a hard peg.

Suggested Citation

  • François J. Gurtner, 2004. "Why Did Argentina's Currency Board Collapse?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 679-697, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:27:y:2004:i:5:p:679-697
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0378-5920.2004.00621.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barry Eichengreen, 1998. "Does Mercosur Need a Single Currency," NBER Working Papers 6821, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Ms. Nada Choueiri & Graciela Laura Kaminsky, 1999. "Has the Nature of Crises Changed? A Quarter Century of Currency Crises in Argentina," IMF Working Papers 1999/152, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Carmen Pagés-Serra, 2000. "The Cost of Job Security Regulation: Evidence from Latin American Labor Markets," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Fall 2000), pages 109-154, August.
    4. Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti & Assaf Razin, 1996. "Sustainability of Persistent Current Account Deficits," NBER Working Papers 5467, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Milesi-Ferretti, G-M & Razin, A, 1996. "Current-Account Sustainability," Princeton Studies in International Economics 81, International Economics Section, Departement of Economics Princeton University,.
    6. Michael Mussa, 2002. "Argentina and the Fund: From Triumph to Tragedy," Peterson Institute Press: Policy Analyses in International Economics, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number pa67, February.
    7. World Bank, 2000. "World Development Indicators 2000," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13828, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kathryn M. E. Dominguez & Linda L. Tesar, 2007. "International Borrowing and Macroeconomic Performance in Argentina," NBER Chapters, in: Capital Controls and Capital Flows in Emerging Economies: Policies, Practices, and Consequences, pages 297-348, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Kuokštis, Vytautas & Asali, Muhammad & Spurga, Simonas Algirdas, 2022. "Labor market flexibility and exchange rate regimes," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    3. Busse, Matthias & Hefeker, Carsten & Koopmann, Georg, 2006. "Between two poles: A dual currency board for Mercosur," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 349-362, December.

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