IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/jns/jbstat/v231y2011i4p522-545.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Changes in Import Pricing Behaviour: Evidence for Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Stahn Kerstin

    (Deutsche Bundesbank, Economics Department, Wilhelm-Epstein-Str. 14, 60431 Frankfurt a.M., Germany)

Abstract

Since changes in import prices feed into consumer prices and thus might affect monetary policy decisions, policymakers need to establish whether or not German importers’ long-run pricing behaviour has changed. Of particular interest are any shifts in the importance of cost pass-through and pricing-to-market for import pricing in Germany that may have ocurred since the 1990s. We analyse pricing in single equations for 11 product categories because the factors influencing the pricing behaviour, eg competitive pressure,may well have developed differently on the individual product markets. The Saikkonen (1991) approach is applied to test the import price levels for changes in the impact of their determinants. After aggregating the findings for the individual product categories, we find that, on the whole, pricing-to-market has increased, whereas cost pass-through via foreign costs and exchange rates is lower, but not via commodity prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Stahn Kerstin, 2011. "Changes in Import Pricing Behaviour: Evidence for Germany," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 231(4), pages 522-545, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:231:y:2011:i:4:p:522-545
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2011-0406
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2011-0406
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/jbnst-2011-0406?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Engel, Charles, 1993. "Real exchange rates and relative prices : An empirical investigation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 35-50, August.
    2. Jeannine Bailliu & Eiji Fujii, 2004. "Exchange Rate Pass-Through and the Inflation Environment in Industrialized Countries: An Empirical Investigation," Staff Working Papers 04-21, Bank of Canada.
    3. Brissimis, Sophocles N. & Kosma, Theodora, 2005. "Market power, innovative activity and exchange rate pass-through in the euro area," Working Paper Series 531, European Central Bank.
    4. Argia M. Sbordone, 2007. "Globalization and Inflation Dynamics: The Impact of Increased Competition," NBER Chapters, in: International Dimensions of Monetary Policy, pages 547-579, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Jose Manuel Campa & Linda S. Goldberg, 2008. "Pass-Through of Exchange Rates to Consumption Prices: What Has Changed and Why?," NBER Chapters, in: International Financial Issues in the Pacific Rim: Global Imbalances, Financial Liberalization, and Exchange Rate Policy, pages 139-176, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. José Manuel Campa & Linda S. Goldberg & José M. González-Mínguez, 2005. "Exchange-Rate Pass-Through to Import Prices in the Euro Area," NBER Working Papers 11632, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Jeffrey Frankel & David Parsley & Shang-Jin Wei, 2012. "Slow Pass-through Around the World: A New Import for Developing Countries?," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 213-251, April.
    8. Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg & Michael M. Knetter, 1997. "Goods Prices and Exchange Rates: What Have We Learned?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(3), pages 1243-1272, September.
    9. Choudhri, Ehsan U. & Hakura, Dalia S., 2006. "Exchange rate pass-through to domestic prices: Does the inflationary environment matter?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 614-639, June.
    10. Campa, Jose M. & Goldberg, Linda S., 2002. "Exchange rate pass-through into import prices: A macro or micro phenomenon?," IESE Research Papers D/475, IESE Business School.
    11. Jane E. Ihrig & Mario Marazzi & Alexander D. Rothenberg, 2006. "Exchange-rate pass-through in the G-7 countries," International Finance Discussion Papers 851, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    12. Marston, Richard C., 1990. "Pricing to market in Japanese manufacturing," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3-4), pages 217-236, November.
    13. Maurice Obstfeld & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 1996. "Foundations of International Macroeconomics," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262150476, December.
    14. José Manuel Campa & Linda S. Goldberg, 2005. "Exchange Rate Pass-Through into Import Prices," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 87(4), pages 679-690, November.
    15. Hung, Wansing & Kim, Yoonbai & Ohno, Kenichi, 1993. "Pricing exports: a cross-country study," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 3-28, February.
    16. repec:bla:scandj:v:98:y:1996:i:3:p:329-50 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Joseph E. Gagnon & Jane Ihrig, 2004. "Monetary policy and exchange rate pass-through This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(4), pages 315-338.
    18. Taylor, John B., 2000. "Low inflation, pass-through, and the pricing power of firms," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(7), pages 1389-1408, June.
    19. Stephane Dees & Matthias Burgert & Nicolas Parent, 2013. "Import price dynamics in major advanced economies and heterogeneity in exchange rate pass-through," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 789-816, October.
    20. Anderton, Robert, 2003. "Extra-euro area manufacturing import prices and exchange rate pass-through," Working Paper Series 219, European Central Bank.
    21. Otani, Akira & Shiratsuka, Shigenori & Shirota, Toyoichiro, 2006. "Revisiting the Decline in the Exchange Rate Pass-Through: Further Evidence from Japan's Import Prices," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 24(1), pages 61-75, March.
    22. Menon, Jayant, 1995. "The Relationship between the Law of One Price and Exchange Rate Pass-through," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 48(4), pages 551-568.
    23. Feinberg, Robert M, 1986. "The Interaction of Foreign Exchange and Market Power Effects on German Domestic Prices," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 61-70, September.
    24. Stephen Shore & Alexander Muermann, 2005. "Spot Market Power and Future Market Trading," FMG Discussion Papers dp531, Financial Markets Group.
    25. S. Mahdavi, 2000. "Do German, Japanese, and U.S. export prices asymmetrically respond to exchange rate changes? Evidence from aggregate data," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(1), pages 70-81, January.
    26. repec:zbw:bofrdp:1996_026 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Obstfeld, Maurice & Rogoff, Kenneth, 1995. "Exchange Rate Dynamics Redux," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(3), pages 624-660, June.
    28. Menon, Jayant, 1995. "Exchange Rate Pass-Through," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(2), pages 197-231, June.
    29. Taylor, John B, 2000. "Comment on Three Lessons for Monetary Policy in a Low-Inflation Era," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 32(4), pages 973-978, November.
    30. Hahn, Elke, 2007. "The impact of exchange rate shocks on sectoral activity and prices in the euro area," Working Paper Series 796, European Central Bank.
    31. Stirböck, Claudia, 2006. "How strong is the impact of exports and other demand components on German import demand? Evidence from euro-area and non-euro-area imports," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2006,39, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    32. Jon Faust & Joseph E. Gagnon & Mario Marazzi & Jaime R. Marquez & Robert F. Martin & Trevor A. Reeve & John H. Rogers & Nathan Sheets & Robert J. Vigfusson, 2005. "Exchange rate pass-through to U.S. import prices: some new evidence," International Finance Discussion Papers 833, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    33. Matthieu Bussiere, 2013. "Exchange Rate Pass-through to Trade Prices: The Role of Nonlinearities and Asymmetries," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 75(5), pages 731-758, October.
    34. Clostermann, Jörg, 1996. "The impact of the exchange rate on Germany's balance of trade," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 1996,07e, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    35. Sabine Stephan, 2005. "Pricing-to-Market Effects in Foreign Trade Prices. Evidence from a Cointegration Approach for Germany," IMK Working Paper 07-2005, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    36. Dornbusch, Rudiger, 1987. "Exchange Rates and Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(1), pages 93-106, March.
    37. Athukorala, Premachandra & Menon, Jayant, 1995. "Exchange Rates and Strategic Pricing: The Case of Swedish Machinery Exports," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 57(4), pages 533-546, November.
    38. Sophocles N. Brissimis & Theodora S. Kosma, 2005. "Market Power, Innovative Activity and Exchange Rate Pass-Through," Working Papers 22, Bank of Greece.
    39. Rebecca Hellerstein, 2004. "Who Bears the Cost of a Change in the Exchange Rate?," Econometric Society 2004 North American Summer Meetings 589, Econometric Society.
    40. Floden, Martin & Wilander, Fredrik, 2006. "State dependent pricing, invoicing currency, and exchange rate pass-through," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 178-196, September.
    41. Otani, Akira & Shiratsuka, Shigenori & Shirota, Toyoichiro, 2003. "The Decline in the Exchange Rate Pass-Through: Evidence from Japanese Import Prices," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 21(3), pages 53-81, October.
    42. Campa, Jose Manuel & Gonzalez Minguez, Jose M., 2006. "Differences in exchange rate pass-through in the euro area," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 121-145, January.
    43. Hahn, Elke, 2003. "Pass-through of external shocks to euro area inflation," Working Paper Series 243, European Central Bank.
    44. Saikkonen, Pentti, 1991. "Asymptotically Efficient Estimation of Cointegration Regressions," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, March.
    45. Philippe Jeanfils, 2008. "Imperfect exchange rate pass-through : the role of distribution services and variable demand elasticity," Working Paper Research 135, National Bank of Belgium.
    46. Jeannine Bailliu & Hafedh Bouakez, 2004. "Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Industrialized Countries," Bank of Canada Review, Bank of Canada, vol. 2004(Spring), pages 19-28.
    47. Warmedinger, Thomas, 2004. "Import prices and pricing-to-market effects in the euro area," Working Paper Series 299, European Central Bank.
    48. Stahn, Kerstin, 2006. "Has the export pricing behaviour of German enterprises changed? Empirical evidence from German sectoral prices," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2006,37, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    49. repec:jns:jbstat:v:227:y:2007:i:3:p:295-329 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stahn, Kerstin, 2009. "Changes in import pricing behaviour: the case of Germany," Discussion Paper Series 1: Economic Studies 2009,14, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    2. repec:jns:jbstat:v:227:y:2007:i:3:p:295-329 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Stahn Kerstin, 2007. "Has the Export Pricing Behaviour of German Enterprises Changed?: Empirical Evidence from German Sectoral Export Prices," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 227(3), pages 295-329, June.
    4. Nidhaleddine Ben Cheikh & Christophe Rault, 2016. "Recent estimates of exchange rate pass-through to import prices in the euro area," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(1), pages 69-105, February.
    5. Andrés González & Hernán Rincóm & Norberto Rodríguez, 2008. "La transmisión de los choques a la tasa de cambio sobre la inflación," Borradores de Economia 5089, Banco de la Republica.
    6. Andrés González & Hernán Rincón & Norberto Rodríguez, 2008. "La transmisión de los choques a la tasa de cambio sobre la inflación de los bienes importados en presencia de asimetrías," Borradores de Economia 532, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Waldyr Areosa & Marta Areosa, 2012. "The Signaling Effect of Exchange Rates: pass-through under dispersed information," Working Papers Series 282, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    8. José M. Campa & Linda S. Goldberg & José M. González-Mínguez, 2005. "Exchange rate pass through to import prices in the euro area," Working Papers 0538, Banco de España.
    9. Antonia López-Villavicencio & Valérie Mignon, 2021. "On the Seemingly Incompleteness of Exchange Rate Pass-Through to Import Prices: Do Globalization and/or Regional Trade Matter?," Dynamic Modeling and Econometrics in Economics and Finance, in: Gilles Dufrénot & Takashi Matsuki (ed.), Recent Econometric Techniques for Macroeconomic and Financial Data, pages 35-59, Springer.
    10. López-Villavicencio, Antonia & Mignon, Valérie, 2017. "Exchange rate pass-through in emerging countries: Do the inflation environment, monetary policy regime and central bank behavior matter?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 20-38.
    11. Fatma Marrakchi Charfi & Mohamed Kadria, 2016. "Incomplete Exchange Rate Pass-Through Transmission To Prices: An Svar Model For Tunisia," Annals of Financial Economics (AFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(04), pages 1-23, December.
    12. Barhoumi, Karim, 2006. "Differences in long run exchange rate pass-through into import prices in developing countries: An empirical investigation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 926-951, December.
    13. Raphael A. Auer, 2015. "Exchange Rate Pass‐Through, Domestic Competition, and Inflation: Evidence from the 2005–08 Revaluation of the Renminbi," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(8), pages 1617-1650, December.
    14. Chang Shu & Xiaojing Su, 2009. "Exchange Rate Pass‐through in China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 17(1), pages 33-46, January.
    15. Antonia López-Villavicencio & Valérie Mignon, 2020. "Exchange rate pass-through to import prices: accounting for changes in the eurozone trade structure," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 156(4), pages 835-858, November.
    16. Michele Ca’ Zorzi & Elke Hahn & Marcelo Sánchez, 2007. "Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Emerging Markets," The IUP Journal of Monetary Economics, IUP Publications, vol. 0(4), pages 84-102, November.
    17. María-Dolores, Ramón, 2010. "Exchange rate pass-through in New Member States and candidate countries of the EU," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 23-35, January.
    18. Forte, Antonio, 2009. "The pass-through effect: a twofold analysis," MPRA Paper 16527, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. repec:zbw:bofitp:2008_025 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Antonia Lopez-Villavicencio & Valérie Mignon, 2016. "Exchange rate pass-through in emerging countries: Do the inflation environment, monetary policy regime and institutional quality matter?," EconomiX Working Papers 2016-18, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    21. Boris Blagov, 2019. "Exchange rate uncertainty and import prices in the euro area," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 1537-1572, November.
    22. Atif Ali Jaffri, 2010. "Exchange Rate Pass-through to Consumer Prices in Pakistan: Does Misalignment Matter?," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 49(1), pages 19-35.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:231:y:2011:i:4:p:522-545. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.