Export Surges : The Power of a Competitive Currency
How can countries stimulate and sustain strong export growth? To answer this question, the authors examine 92 episodes of export surges, defined as significant increases in manufacturing export growth that are sustained for at least seven years. T...
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Language: | English |
Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/10/9933586/export-surges-oower-competitive-currency-export-surges-power-competitive-currency http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6937 |
Summary: | How can countries stimulate and sustain
strong export growth? To answer this question, the authors
examine 92 episodes of export surges, defined as significant
increases in manufacturing export growth that are sustained
for at least seven years. They find that export surges in
developing countries tend to be preceded by a large real
depreciation-which leaves the exchange rate significantly
undervalued-and a reduction in exchange rate volatility. In
contrast, in developed countries, the role of the exchange
rate is less pronounced. The authors examine why the
exchange rate is so important in developing countries and
find that the depreciation leads to a significant
reallocation of resources in the export sector. In
particular, depreciation generates more entries into new
export products and new markets, and the percentage of new
entries that fail after one year declines. These new
products and new markets are important, accounting for 25
percent of export growth during the surge in developing
countries. The authors argue that maintaining a competitive
currency leads firms to expand the product and market space
for exports, inducing a large reorientation of the tradable sector. |
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