Limits of Floating Exchange Rates the Role of Foreign Currency Debt and Import Structure

A traditional argument in favor of flexible exchange rates is that they insulate output better from real shocks, because the exchange rate can adjust and stabilize demand for domestic goods through expenditure switching. This argument is weakened in models with high foreign currency debt and low exc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Towbin, Pascal
Other Authors: Weber, Sebastian
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C. International Monetary Fund 2011
Series:IMF Working Papers
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: International Monetary Fund - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
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245 0 0 |a Limits of Floating Exchange Rates  |b the Role of Foreign Currency Debt and Import Structure  |c Pascal Towbin, Sebastian Weber 
260 |a Washington, D.C.  |b International Monetary Fund  |c 2011 
300 |a 51 pages 
653 |a International economics 
653 |a Exchange rate flexibility 
653 |a External debt 
653 |a Foreign currency debt 
653 |a International Lending and Debt Problems 
653 |a Exports and Imports 
653 |a Foreign exchange 
653 |a Exchange rate arrangements 
653 |a Foreign Exchange 
653 |a Imports 
653 |a Currency 
653 |a Trade: General 
653 |a Debts, External 
700 1 |a Weber, Sebastian 
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520 |a A traditional argument in favor of flexible exchange rates is that they insulate output better from real shocks, because the exchange rate can adjust and stabilize demand for domestic goods through expenditure switching. This argument is weakened in models with high foreign currency debt and low exchange rate pass-through to import prices. The present study evaluates the empirical relevance of these two factors. We analyze the transmission of real external shocks to the domestic economy under fixed and flexible exchange rate regimes for a broad sample of countries in a Panel VAR and let the responses vary with foreign currency indebtedness and import structure. We find that flexible exchange rates do not insulate output better from external shocks if the country imports mainly low pass-through goods and can even amplify the output response if foreign indebtedness is high