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Wearing corset, losing shape: The euro's effect on trade imbalances

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  • Berger, Helge
  • Nitsch, Volker

Abstract

When does trade become a one-way relationship? We study bilateral trade balances for a sample of 18 European countries over the period from 1948 through 2008. We find that, with the introduction of the euro, trade imbalances among euro area members widened considerably, even after allowing for permanent asymmetries in trade competitiveness within pairs of countries or in the overall trade competitiveness of individual countries. This is consistent with indications that pair-wise trade tends to be more balanced when nominal exchange rates are flexible. Intra-euro area imbalances also seem to have become more persistent with the introduction of the euro, some of which is linked to labor market inflexibility. Reviewing the direction of imbalances, we find that bilateral trade surpluses are decreasing in the real exchange rate, decreasing in growth differentials, and increasing in the relative volatility of national business cycles. Finally, countries with relatively higher fiscal deficits and less flexible labor and product markets exhibit systematically lower trade surpluses than others.

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  • Berger, Helge & Nitsch, Volker, 2014. "Wearing corset, losing shape: The euro's effect on trade imbalances," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 136-155.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:36:y:2014:i:1:p:136-155
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2013.03.015
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    Cited by:

    1. Jo‐wei Wu & Jyh‐Lin Wu, 2018. "Does The Launch Of The Euro Hinder The Current Account Adjustment Of The Eurozone?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(2), pages 1116-1135, April.
    2. Daniele Siena, 2021. "The Euro Area Periphery and Imbalances: Is it an Anticipation Story?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 40, pages 278-308, April.
    3. Fu‐Min Tseng & Jyh‐Lin Wu, 2023. "Exchange rate regimes and current account persistence," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(5), pages 1423-1443, May.
    4. Atish R Ghosh & Mahvash S Qureshi & Charalambos G Tsangarides, 2019. "Friedman Redux: External Adjustment and Exchange Rate Flexibility," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(617), pages 408-438.
    5. Toyofuku, Kenta, 2021. "Unit of account, sovereign debt, and optimal currency area," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    6. Niels Gilbert & Sebastiaan Pool, 2020. "Sectoral allocation and macroeconomic imbalances in EMU," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 156(4), pages 945-984, November.
    7. Mika Nieminen & Juha Junttila, 2016. "Short-Run Dynamics of the Trade Balance in the Emu-12 Countries," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 84(S1), pages 56-83, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Imbalances; Trade balance; Trade surplus; Trade deficit; Euro; EMU; European integration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission

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