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International Risk-Sharing and the Exchange Rate: Re-evaluating the Case for Flexible Exchange Rates

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  • Devereux, Michael B

Abstract

A classic argument for flexible exchange rates is that the exchange rate plays a ?shock-absorber' role in an open economy hit by country specific shocks. This Paper presents a sharp counterexample to this argument within a very simple open economy model. Countries are subject to unpredictable shocks to world demand for their goods. Efficient adjustment is prevented, both by sticky nominal wages and by the absence of a market for hedging consumption risk across countries. A flexible exchange rate policy, by stabilizing domestic prices, fully stabilizes output and replicates the flexible wage outcome, acting perfectly as a ?shock absorber?. Despite this, a policy that fixes the exchange rate may be welfare superior, even though fixed exchange rates cause GDP to fluctuate away from the flexible wage outcome. Moreover, an optimal monetary rule in this environment would always dampen exchange rate movements, and may even be a fixed exchange rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Devereux, Michael B, 2001. "International Risk-Sharing and the Exchange Rate: Re-evaluating the Case for Flexible Exchange Rates," CEPR Discussion Papers 2900, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2900
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    1. Devereux, Michael B., 2004. "Should the exchange rate be a shock absorber?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 359-377, March.
    2. 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.
    3. Devereux, Michael B. & Yetman, James, 2010. "Price adjustment and exchange rate pass-through," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 181-200, February.
    4. Fujiki, Hiroshi & Otani, Akira, 2002. "Do Currency Regimes Matter in the 21st Century? An Overview," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 20(S1), pages 47-79, December.
    5. 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.
    6. PIROVANO, Mara, 2013. "International financial integration, credit frictions and exchange rate regimes," Working Papers 2013015, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    7. Smets, Frank & Wouters, Raf, 2002. "Openness, imperfect exchange rate pass-through and monetary policy," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(5), pages 947-981, July.
    8. International Monetary Fund, 2007. "Tunisia: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2007/319, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Sinyakov, A. & Chernyadyev, D. & Sapova, A., 2019. "Estimating the Exchange Rate Pass-Through Effect on Producer Prices of Final Products Based on Micro-Data of Russian Companies," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 41(1), pages 128-157.
    10. Sutherland, Alan, 2002. "International monetary policy coordination and financial market integration," Working Paper Series 174, European Central Bank.
    11. Ila Patnaik & Ajay Shah & Rudrani Bhattacharya, 2011. "Monetary Policy Transmission in an Emerging Market Setting," IMF Working Papers 2011/005, International Monetary Fund.
    12. SHARMA Chandan & SETIA Rajat, 2017. "Effects Of Monetary Shocks On Exchange Rate: Empirical Evidence From India," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 12(2), pages 206-219, August.
    13. Thorvardur Tjörvi Ólafsson, 2006. "The New Keynesian Phillips Curve: In Search of Improvements and Adaptation to the Open Economy," Economics wp31_tjorvi, Department of Economics, Central bank of Iceland.
    14. David Bowman & Brian M. Doyle, 2003. "New Keynesian, open-economy models and their implications for monetary policy," International Finance Discussion Papers 762, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    15. Mr. Jarkko Soikkeli, 2002. "The Inflation Targeting Framework in Norway," IMF Working Papers 2002/184, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Michael B. Devereux & James Yetman, 2002. "Price Setting and Exhange Rate Pass-Through," Working Papers 222002, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    17. Alessandro Flamini, 2003. "CPI Inflation Targeting and Exchange Rate Pass-through," Macroeconomics 0306017, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Akhis HUTABARAT, 2010. "Monetary Transmission of Elongated Shock to the Risk Premium," EcoMod2010 259600078, EcoMod.
    19. Flamini, Alessandro, 2007. "Inflation targeting and exchange rate pass-through," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(7), pages 1113-1150, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Risk sharing; Fixed exchange rates; Flexible exchange rates;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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