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Trade elasticities

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  • Jean Imbs
  • Isabelle Mejean

Abstract

We estimate the aggregate export and import price elasticities implied by a Constant Elasticity of Substitution (CES) demand system, for more than 30 countries at various stages of development. Trade elasticities are given by weighted averages of sector-specific elasticities of substitution, that we estimate structurally. Both weights and substitution elasticities can be chosen to compute the response of trade to specific shocks to relative prices, bilateral or global. We document considerable, significant cross-country heterogeneity in multi-lateral trade elasticities, which is virtually absent from estimates constrained to mimic aggregate data. The international dispersion in import price elasticities depends mostly on preference parameters, whereas export price elasticites vary with the composition of trade. We simulate the demand-based response of trade to specific exogenous shifts in international prices. We consider shocks to EMU-wide, US or China's relative prices, as well as country-specific shocks within the EMU zone. The trade responses to an external EMU-shock are considerably heterogeneous across member countries; in contrast, a within-EMU (Greek, Portuguese, German) shock to relative prices has largely homogeneous consequences on Eurozone trade patterns. PRELIMINARY AND INCOMPLETE.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean Imbs & Isabelle Mejean, 2010. "Trade elasticities," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Oct.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedfpr:y:2010:i:oct:x:5
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    3. Benedikt Heid & Mario Larch & Yoto V. Yotov, 2021. "Estimating the effects of non‐discriminatory trade policies within structural gravity models," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 376-409, February.
    4. Andrei A Levchenko & Jing Zhang, 2013. "The Global Labor Market Impact of Emerging Giants: A Quantitative Assessment," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 61(3), pages 479-519, August.
    5. Bergin, Adele & Economides, Philip & Garcia-Rodriguez, Abian & Murphy, Gavin, 2019. "Ireland and Brexit: modelling the impact of deal and no-deal scenarios," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    6. Agénor, Pierre-Richard & Alper, Koray & Pereira da Silva, Luiz, 2018. "External shocks, financial volatility and reserve requirements in an open economy," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 23-43.
    7. A. Berthou & E. Dhyne, 2018. "Exchange Rate Movements, Firm-Level Exports and Heterogeneity," Working papers 660, Banque de France.
    8. Soon, Byung Min & Thompson, Wyatt, 2016. "Estimating Import Demand Functions in Major Beef Importing Countries by Bayesian Hierarchical Linear Model," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235735, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Jyrki Ali-Yrkkö & Tero Kuusi, 2020. "Shield the US from Imports! – GDP impacts on Finland and other European Union member states," Finnish Economic Papers, Finnish Economic Association, vol. 29(1), pages 52-80, Spring.
    10. Hylke Vandenbussche & William Connell Garcia & Wouter Simons, 2018. "The cost of non-TTIP: a global value chain approach," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven 617062, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
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