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Is the US current-account deficit sustainable? The importance of structural breaks in testing sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Dimitris Hatzinikolaou

    (University of Ioannina, Department of Economics)

  • Theodore Simos

    (University of Ioannina, Department of Economics)

  • Agathi Tsoka

    (University of Ioannina, Department of Economics)

Abstract

This paper improves the test for deficit sustainability developed by Hatzinikolaou and Simos (2013, henceforth HS) by taking into account structural breaks when deriving critical values for the test. Using quarterly data on the US current-account deficit, 1947.1-2012.2, we find that taking into account a structural break when testing for cointegration and when estimating a Box-Jenkins model for the derivation of the critical values renders the HS test more powerful than when ignoring the break. Thus, although HS failed to reject sustainability using their full sample period, 1947.1-2010.1, with the updated sample we can reject sustainability at the 10% level.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimitris Hatzinikolaou & Theodore Simos & Agathi Tsoka, 2013. "Is the US current-account deficit sustainable? The importance of structural breaks in testing sustainability," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 33(4), pages 2817-2827.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-13-00208
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hakkio, Craig S & Rush, Mark, 1991. "Is the Budget Deficit "Too Large?"," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 29(3), pages 429-445, July.
    2. Husted, Steven, 1992. "The Emerging U.S. Current Account Deficit in the 1980s: A Cointegration Analysis," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(1), pages 159-166, February.
    3. Gregory, Allan W & Hansen, Bruce E, 1996. "Tests for Cointegration in Models with Regime and Trend Shifts," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 58(3), pages 555-560, August.
    4. Jack L. Hervey & Loula S. Merkel, 2000. "A record current account deficit: causes and implications," Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, vol. 25(Q IV), pages 2-13.
    5. Dimitris Hatzinikolaou & Theodore Simos, 2013. "A new test for deficit sustainability and its application to US data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 61-79, August.
    6. Gregory, Allan W. & Hansen, Bruce E., 1996. "Residual-based tests for cointegration in models with regime shifts," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 99-126, January.
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    8. Gonzalo, Jesus, 1994. "Five alternative methods of estimating long-run equilibrium relationships," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1-2), pages 203-233.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dimitris Hatzinikolaou, 2016. "A "litmus test" of Deficit Sustainability: The Case of the Greek Budget Deficit," Review of Economics & Finance, Better Advances Press, Canada, vol. 6, pages 65-73, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Current-account; sustainability tests; structural break;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance

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