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Are Africa's Currency Unions Good for Trade?

Author

Listed:
  • Charalambos Tsangarides
  • Pierre Ewenczyk
  • Michal Hulej
  • Mahvash Saeed Qureshi

Abstract

This paper explores and quantifies several aspects of the performance of Africa's currency unions. It benchmarks Africa's experience with that of the world using an augmented version of the gravity model and applying a comprehensive set of robustness checks. The empirical findings suggest that membership in a currency union should benefit Africa as much as it does the rest of the world. In addition, for both samples, we find evidence that (1) there is a significant currency union trade-generating effect; (2) currency unions are associated with trade creation and increased price comovements among member countries; and (3) the duration of currency union membership matters for trade: longer duration brings about greater benefits, and vice versa, however with some diminishing returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Charalambos Tsangarides & Pierre Ewenczyk & Michal Hulej & Mahvash Saeed Qureshi, 2009. "Are Africa's Currency Unions Good for Trade?," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 56(4), pages 876-918, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:imfstp:v:56:y:2009:i:4:p:876-918
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Qureshi, Mahvash Saeed, 2013. "Trade and thy neighbor's war," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 178-195.
    2. Glick, Reuven & Rose, Andrew K., 2016. "Currency unions and trade: A post-EMU reassessment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 78-91.
    3. Couharde, Cécile & Coulibaly, Issiaka & Guerreiro, David & Mignon, Valérie, 2013. "Revisiting the theory of optimum currency areas: Is the CFA franc zone sustainable?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 38(PB), pages 428-441.
    4. Philip O. Alege & Evans S. Osabuohien, 2015. "Trade-Exchange Rate Nexus in Sub-Saharan African Countries," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 50(3), pages 151-167, August.
    5. Gilles Dufrenot & Valerie Mignon & Charalambos Tsangarides, 2010. "The trade-growth nexus in the developing countries: a quantile regression approach," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 146(4), pages 731-761, December.
    6. Mahvash S Qureshi & Mr. Charalambos G Tsangarides, 2010. "The Empirics of Exchange Rate Regimes and Trade: Words vs. Deeds," IMF Working Papers 2010/048, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Qureshi, Mahvash Saeed & Tsangarides, Charalambos G., 2012. "Hard or Soft Pegs? Choice of Exchange Rate Regime and Trade in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 667-680.
    8. Yasin Kuso, 2018. "Impact of Currency Union on Trade: Comparative Analysis of EMU and SACU - Gravity Model Approach," Academic Journal of Economic Studies, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accountancy Bucharest,"Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University Bucharest, vol. 4(4), pages 102-115, December.

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