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Current Account Sustainability: Selected East Asian and Latin American Experiences

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  • Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti
  • Assaf Razin

Abstract

A number of developing countries have run large and persistent current account deficits in both the late seventies/early eighties and in the early nineties, raising the issue of whether these persistent imbalances are sustainable. This paper puts forward a notion of current account sustainability and compares the experience of three Latin American countries -- Chile, Colombia and Mexico -- and three East Asian countries--Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. It identifies a number of potential sustainability indicators and discusses their usefulness in predicting external crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti & Assaf Razin, 1996. "Current Account Sustainability: Selected East Asian and Latin American Experiences," NBER Working Papers 5791, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5791
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems

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