Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Output, devaluation and the real exchange rate in developing countries

  • Articles
  • Published:
Review of World Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Zusammenfassung

Produktion, Abwertung und realer Wechselkurs in EntwicklungslÄndern. — Der Verfasser untersucht, ob — wie neuerdings von den ⋯neuen Strukturalisten” behauptet wird — Abwertungen in EntwicklungslÄndern kontraktive Wirkungen haben. Nach einem kurzen überblick über die Literatur werden Daten für 23 EntwicklungslÄnder aus den Jahren 1978 bis 1987 benutzt, um ein Modell zu schÄtzen, das die Entwicklung der realen Produktion explizit aus einem Gleichgewichtssystem von aggregierten Nachfrage- und Angebotsgrö\en bei rationalen Erwartungen ableitet. Es ergibt sich, da\ antizipierte Abwertungen des realen Wechselkurses eine negative Auswirkung auf die Produktion haben, wÄhrend Abwertungen, die nicht antizipiert werden, positiv wirken. Au\erdem zeigt sich, da\ die kontraktiven Effekte noch nach einem Jahr andauern, was der Ansicht widerspricht, Abwertungen seien auf ⋯mittlere” Sicht neutral.

Résumé

Output, dévaluation et taux de change réel dans les pays en voie de développement. — Cette étude évalue si les dévaluations dans les pays en voie de développement ont un effet de contraction comme les Nouveaux Structuralistes l’ont récemment souligné. Après avoir briévement examiné la littérature, l’auteur se sert de données relatives à 23 pays en voie de développement pour la période 1978 à 1987 afin d’estimer un modèle de la production réelle. Ce modèle est explicitement dérivé d’un système d’équilibre de l’offre et de la demande globales avec anticipations rationnelles. Les résultats indiquent que des dépréciations anticipées du taux de change réel ont un effet négatif sur l’activité, tandis que des dévaluations non-anticipées ont un effet positif. En outre, il est montré que l’effet de contraction persiste plus qu’une année ce qui contredit l’hypothèse que les dévaluations sont neutres à moyen terme.

Resumen

Producción, devaluación y tasa de cambio real en los países en desarrollo. — En esta trabajo se evalÚa si, como los “Nuevos Estructuralistas” han enfatizado recientemente, las devaluaciones en los países en desarrollo son contractivas. Después de pasar revista a la literatura existente, se utilizan datos de 23 países en desarrollo para 1978–1987 para estimar un modelo de comportamiento de la producción real, explícitamente derivado de un modelo de equilibrio general de oferta y demanda con expectativas racionales. Los resultados indican que devaluaciónes anticipadas de la tasa de cambio real tienen un impacto negativo sobre la producción, mientras que cambios no anticipados tienen un efecto positive Además, se demuestra que el efecto contractivo persiste después de un año, contradiciendo así la opinión que las devaluaciónes son neutrales en el mediano plazo.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Barbone, Luca, Francisco Rivera-Batiz, “Foreign Capital and the Contractionary Impact of Currency Devaluation, with an Application to Jamaica”.Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 26, 1987, pp. 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Branson,William H., “Stabilization, Stagflation, and Investment Incentives: The Case of Kenya 1979–80”. In: Sebastian Edwards, Liaqat Ahamed (Eds.),Economic Adjustment and Exchange Rates in Developing Countries. Chicago 1986, pp. 267–293.

  • Bruno,Michael, “Stabilization and Stagflation in a Semi-Industrialized Economy”. In: Rudiger Dornbusch, Jacob A. Frenkel (Eds.),International Economic Policy: Theory and Evidence, Baltimore 1979, pp. 270–289.

  • Buttle, Edward F., “Devaluation and Imported Inputs: the Large Economy Case”.International Economic Review, Vol. 27, 1986, pp. 123–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra, Ajai, Peter J. Montiel, “Output and Unanticipated Money with Imported Intermediate Goods and Foreign Exchange Rationing”.IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 33, 1986, pp. 697–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper,Richard N.,Currency Devaluation in Developing Countries. Essays in International Finance No. 86. Princeton 1971.

  • Denoon,David B.,Devaluation under Pressure. India, Indonesia, and Ghana. Cambridge 1986.

  • Diaz-Alejandro, Carlos F., “A Note on the Impact of Devaluation and the Redistributive Effect”.The Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 71, 1963, pp. 577–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • -,Exchange Rate Devaluation in a Semi-Industrialized Country: The Experience of Argentina, 1955–61. Cambridge 1965.

  • Donovan, Donal J., “Real Responses Associated with Exchange Rate Action in Selected Upper Credit Tranche Stabilization Programs”.IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 28, 1981, pp. 698–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —, “Macroeconomic Performance and Adjustment under Fund-Supported Programs: The Experience of the Seventies”.IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 29, 1982, pp. 171 -203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dornbusch,Rudiger,Open Economy Macroeconomics. 2nd edition. New York 1988.

  • Edwards, Sebastian, “Are Devaluations Contractionary?”.Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 68, 1986, pp. 501–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —, “Real and Monetary Determinants of Real Exchange Rate Behavior. Theory and Evidence from Developing Countries”.Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 29, 1988, pp. 311–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — [1989 a], “Exchange Controls, Devaluations, and Real Exchange Rates: The Latin American Experience”.Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 37, 1989, pp. 457–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • - [1989 b],Real Exchange Rates, Devaluation and Adjustment: Exchange Rate Policy in Developing Countries. Cambridge 1989.

  • Goldstein, Morris, Peter J. Montiel, “Evaluating Fund Stabilization Programs with Multicountry Data: Some Methodological Pitfalls”.IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 33, 1986, pp. 304–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guitián, Manuel, “The Effects of Changes in the Exchange Rate on Output, Prices and the Balance of Payments”.Journal of International Economics, Vol. 6, 1976, pp. 65–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gylfason,Thorvaldur,Credit Policy and Economic Activity in Developing Countries with IMF Stabilization Programs. Princeton Studies in International Finance No. 60. Princeton 1987.

  • —,Michael Schmid, “Does Devaluation Cause Stagflation?”.The Canadian Journal of Economics, Vol. 16, 1983, pp. 642–654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —,Ole Risager, “Does Devaluation Improve the Current Account?”.European Economic Review, Vol. 25, 1984, pp. 37–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • -,Marian Radetzki,Does Devaluation Make Sense in the Least Developed Countries? IIES Seminar Paper No. 314, University of Stockholm. Stockholm 1985.

  • Hamilton,Clive,Contractionary Devaluation: A Review of the Literature. Australian National University, Faculty of Economics, Working Paper No. 158. Canberra 1988.

  • Hanson, James A., “Contractionary Devaluation, Substitution in Production and Consumption, and the Role of the Labor Market”.Journal of International Economics, Vol. 14, 1983, pp. 179–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardouvelis, Gikas, “Optimal Wage Indexation and Monetary Policy in an Economy with Imported Raw Materials”.Journal of International Money and Finance, Vol. 6, 1987, pp. 419–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Himarios, Daniel, “Do Devaluations Improve the Trade Balance? The Evidence Revisited”.Economic Inquiry, Vol. 27, 1989, pp. 143–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman, Albert O., “Devaluation and the Trade Balance: A Note”.Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 31, 1949, pp. 50–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson,Gove G.,Jr.,et al.,Formulation of Exchange Rate Policies in Adjustment Programs. International Monetary Fund, Occasional Paper No. 36. Washington 1985.

  • Kamas,Linda, “Further Evidence on Contractionary Devaluation: Cointegration and Vector Autoregressions”. Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, June 1990, mimeo.

  • Kamin,Steven B.,Devaluation, External Balance, and Macroeconomic Performance: A Look at the Numbers. Princeton Studies in International Finance No. 62. Princeton 1988.

  • Khan, Mohsin S., “The Macroeconomic Effects of Fund-Supported Adjustment Programs”.IFM Staff Papers, Vol. 37, 1990, pp. 195–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • -,Michael D. Knight,Fund-Supported Adjustment Programs and Economic Growth. Occasional Paper No. 41, International Monetary Fund. Washington 1985.

  • Krugman, Paul, Lance Taylor, “Contractionary Effects of Devaluation”.Journal of International Economics, Vol. 8, 1978, pp. 445–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lizondo, J. Saul, Peter J. Montiel, “Contractionary Devaluation in Developing Countries: An Analytical Overview”.IFM Staff Papers, Vol. 36, 1989, pp. 182–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maciejewski, Edouard B., “ ‘Real’ Effective Rate Indices: A Re-examination of the Major Conceptual and Methodological Issues”.IFM Staff Papers, Vol. 30, 1983, pp. 491–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marston, Richard C, Stephen J. Turnovsky, “Imported Materials Prices, Wage Policy, and Macro-Economic Stabilization”.The Canadian Journal of Economics, Vol. 18, 1985, pp. 273–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mundlak, Yair, “On the Pooling of Time Series and Cross Section Data”.Econometrica, Vol. 46, 1978, pp. 69–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunnenkamp, Peter, Rainer Schweickert, “Adjustment Policies and Economic Growth in Developing Countries — Is Devaluation Contractionary?”.Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv, Vol. 126, 1990, pp. 474–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pesaran,Hashem,The Limits to Rational Expectations. Oxford 1987.

  • Roca, Santiago, Rodrigo Priale, “Devaluation, Inflationary Expectations and Stabilisation in Peru”.Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 14, 1987, pp. 5–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid, Michael, “Stagflationary Effects of a Devaluation in a Monetary Model with Imported Intermediate Goods”.Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik, Vol. 197, 1982, pp. 107–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shea, Koon-Lam, “Imported Inputs, Devaluation and Balance of Payments: A Keynesian Macro-Approach”.Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 43, 1976, pp. 1106–1111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheehey, Edmund J., “Unanticipated Inflation, Devaluation and Output in Latin America”.World Development, Vol. 14, 1986, pp. 665–671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solimano, Andres, “Contractionary Devaluation in the Southern Cone. The Case of Chile”.Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 23, 1986, pp. 135–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wijnbergen, Sweder van, “Exchange Rate Management and Stabilization Policies in Developing Countries”.Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 23, 1986, pp. 227–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

About this article

Cite this article

Agénor, PR. Output, devaluation and the real exchange rate in developing countries. Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv 127, 18–41 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02707309

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02707309

Keywords

Navigation