Emerging Market Countries’ Access to International Financial Markets

Recent global imbalances have changed the way international capital flows are shared among developed and developing countries. In the new environment, the U.S., a former lender, has become a borrower. This article discusses how the privileged position of this new borrower might influence developing countries’ access to international financial markets. It suggests that for some emerging market countries, the recent increase in current account surpluses might be because of worsening in their borrowing opportunities. Empirical analysis for 39 emerging market economies shows that the increase in the U.S. deficit limited the access of emerging market economies that we analyzed in Commonwealth of Independent States, Developing Asia, Central and Eastern Europe to international financial markets for the 1980–2009 time period. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2012