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An assessment of the trends in international price competitiveness among EMU countries

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  • Fischer, Christoph

Abstract

Inflation differentials within European Monetary Union (EMU) are increasingly seen as exerting adverse effects on the price competitiveness of member countries' firms and – given the common monetary policy within EMU – as being detrimental to euro-area economies, in particular to those with relatively high inflation rates. Using three simple measures of international price competitiveness for EMU countries, the paper analyses whether these indicators have displayed distinctive trends since the start of EMU and whether they converge with or diverge from their respective fundamental value. It is found that all three indicators suggest a gain in competitiveness for the German economy and a corresponding loss for Italy, Portugal and Spain. Two of the indicators, however, suggest that these trends reduce former disparities and, thus, contribute to a convergence of competitiveness within EMU while the third would imply the opposite.

Suggested Citation

  • Fischer, Christoph, 2007. "An assessment of the trends in international price competitiveness among EMU countries," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2007,08, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:bubdp1:5572
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    2. Hubert Gabrisch, 2017. "Explaining trade imbalances in the euro area: Liquidity preference and the role of finance," PSL Quarterly Review, Economia civile, vol. 70(281), pages 155-184.
    3. Hubert Gabrisch & Karsten Staehr, 2015. "The Euro Plus Pact: Competitiveness and External Capital Flows in the EU Countries," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 558-576, May.
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    5. Helmut Herwartz & Florian Siedenburg, 2013. "To converge or not converge: unit labor cost inflation in the Euro area," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 455-467, April.
    6. Ronny Mazzocchi & Roberto Tamborini, 2019. "Current Account Imbalances and the Euro Area: Alternative Views," EconPol Working Paper 27, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    7. Eric Ruscher & Guntram B. Wolff, 2009. "External rebalancing is not just an exporters' story: real exchange rates, the non-tradable sector and the euro," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 375, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    8. Fischer, Christoph & Hossfeld, Oliver, 2014. "A consistent set of multilateral productivity approach-based indicators of price competitiveness," Working Paper Series 1706, European Central Bank.
    9. Ronny Mazzocchi & Roberto Tamborini, 2021. "Current account imbalances and the Euro Area. Controversies and policy lessons," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(1), pages 203-234, April.
    10. Hubert Gabrisch, 2015. "Net Capital Flows To And The Real Exchange Rate Of Western Balkan Countries," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 60(205), pages 31-52, April – J.
    11. Andersson, Malin & Masuch, Klaus & Schiffbauer, Marc, 2009. "Determinants of inflation and price level differentials across the euro area countries," Working Paper Series 1129, European Central Bank.
    12. Fischer, Christoph & Hossfeld, Oliver, 2014. "A consistent set of multilateral productivity approach-based indicators of price competitiveness – Results for Pacific Rim economies," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(PA), pages 152-169.
    13. Buscher, Herbert S. & Gabrisch, Hubert, 2009. "Is the European Monetary Union an Endogenous Currency Area? The Example of the Labor Markets," IWH Discussion Papers 7/2009, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    14. Hubert Gabrisch & Karsten Staehr, 2014. "The Euro Plus Pact: Cost Competitiveness and External Capital Flows in the EU Countries. WWWforEurope Policy Paper No. 15," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47496.
    15. Dovern Jonas & Jannsen Nils & Scheide Joachim, 2009. "Die Bedeutung monetärer Größen für die deutsche Wachstumsschwäche 1995–2005," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 60(1), pages 17-36, April.
    16. Hubert Gabrisch, 2021. "Die prekäre alte Normalität der EU und die Notwendigkeit zur Reform [The EU’s Precarious Old Normal and the Need for Reform]," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 101(10), pages 814-820, October.
    17. Francesca Pancotto & Filippo Pericoli, 2014. "Till labor cost do us part," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 371-395, September.
    18. Hubert Gabrisch, 2011. "A Macroeconomist’s View on EU Governance Reform: Why and How to Establish Policy Coordination?," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 56(191), pages 69-88, October-D.
    19. Fischer, Christoph, 2012. "Price convergence in the EMU? Evidence from micro data," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(4), pages 757-776.
    20. Gabrisch, Hubert & Staehr, Karsten, 2014. "The euro plus pact: cost competitiveness and external capital flows in the EU countries," Working Paper Series 1650, European Central Bank.
    21. Glassner, Vera & Pusch, Toralf, 2010. "The Emergence of Wage Coordination in the Central Western European Metal Sector and its Relationship to European Economic Policy," IWH Discussion Papers 13/2010, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Price competitiveness; EMU; purchasing power parity; productivity approach; panel unit root tests; panel cointegration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange

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