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Real Exchange Rates, Current Accounts and Competitiveness Issues in the Euro Area

Author

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  • Mirdala, Rajmund
Abstract
The lack of nominal exchange rate flexibility in the monetary union induced the growing divergence of trade performance among the member countries. Intra-Eurozone current account imbalances among countries with different income levels per capita fuel discussions on competitiveness channels under common currency. Asynchronous current account trends between North and South of the Euro Area were accompanied by significant appreciations of real exchange rate in the periphery economies originating in the strong shifts in consumer prices and unit labor costs in these countries relative to the countries of the Euro Area core. The issue is whether the real exchange rate is a significant driver of persisting current account imbalances in the Euro Area considering than, according to some authors, differences in domestic demand are more important than is often realized. In the paper we analyze main aspects of current account adjustments in the Euro Area member countries. From estimated VAR model we calculate impulse-response function of the current account to the real exchange rate (REER calculated on CPI and ULC base) and domestic demand shocks and variance decomposition to examine the relative importance of both shocks. Our results indicate that while the prices and costs related determinants of external competitiveness affected imports more significantly than exports, demand drivers shaped current account balances mainly during the crisis period.

Suggested Citation

  • Mirdala, Rajmund, 2015. "Real Exchange Rates, Current Accounts and Competitiveness Issues in the Euro Area," MPRA Paper 68864, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:68864
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Mirdala, Rajmund & Kameník, Martin, 2017. "Effects of Fiscal Policy Shocks in CE3 Countries (TVAR Approach)," MPRA Paper 79918, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    current account; real exchange rate; economic crisis; vector autoregression; impulse-response function; variance decomposition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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