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Detecting currency manipulation: An application of a state-space model with Markov switching

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  • Park, Ki Young
  • Kim, Soohyon

Abstract

Following an idea of Milton Friedman's “plucking model,” we propose to use a state-space model with Markov switching as an auxiliary tool for detecting currency manipulation. Without imposing any a priori restrictions, our model tests if fluctuations of a country's exchange rate are symmetric or if there exists a time-varying support level or resistance level of exchange rate. Using weekly and monthly data of countries on the “monitoring list” of the US Treasury as of April 2017, we find that exchange rates of China, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan rarely fall below their time-varying trends, but are plucked upward from time to time by transitory shocks, suggesting that the FX (foreign exchange) authorities of these countries may have been intervening more actively against appreciation shocks. Our sub-sample analysis reveals that our model accurately captures the period of Switzerland's minimum exchange rate policy with probability of one and Japan's exchange rate rarely falls below its trend after implementing Abenomics. We discuss the difficulties of detecting FX intervention along with the relative advantage of our approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Park, Ki Young & Kim, Soohyon, 2019. "Detecting currency manipulation: An application of a state-space model with Markov switching," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 50-60.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:japwor:v:49:y:2019:i:c:p:50-60
    DOI: 10.1016/j.japwor.2018.10.003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Fernando Delbianco & Andrés Fioriti & Fernando Tohmé, 2023. "Markov chains, eigenvalues and the stability of economic growth processes," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(3), pages 1347-1373, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Plucking model; State-space model; Asymmetry; FX (foreign exchange) intervention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange

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