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Trade in value added: do we need new measures of competitiveness?

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Listed:
  • Silgoner, Maria
  • Ramskogler, Paul
  • Lommatzsch, Kirsten

Abstract

It has been argued that the increasing importance of global value chains necessitates a modification of conventional competitiveness measures. We compile a broad dataset including value added trade, gross exports and conventional and value added based real exchange rates. To sharply focus on external competitiveness, a new price competitiveness indicator is introduced, the TWULC (Trade Weighted Unit Labour Cost indicator). It weights sector-specific cost trends according to sector shares in exports. Econometric tests for a panel of 38 countries show that the focus on value added trade generally improves the explanatory power of export equations. Value added exports JEL Classification: F14, J30

Suggested Citation

  • Silgoner, Maria & Ramskogler, Paul & Lommatzsch, Kirsten, 2016. "Trade in value added: do we need new measures of competitiveness?," Working Paper Series 1936, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20161936
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nikhil Patel & Zhi Wang & Shang‐Jin Wei, 2019. "Global Value Chains and Effective Exchange Rates at the Country‐Sector Level," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 51(S1), pages 7-42, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Camille Logeay & Heike Joebges, 2018. "Could a national wage rule stabilize the current account and functional income distribution in the Euro area?," FMM Working Paper 23-2018, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    2. Nikhil Patel & Zhi Wang & Shang‐Jin Wei, 2019. "Global Value Chains and Effective Exchange Rates at the Country‐Sector Level," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 51(S1), pages 7-42, December.
    3. Amat Adarov & Robert Stehrer, 2021. "Implications of foreign direct investment, capital formation and its structure for global value chains," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(11), pages 3246-3299, November.
    4. Martin Gächter & Alexander Gruber & Aleksandra Riedl, 2017. "Wage Divergence, Business Cycle Co-Movement and the Currency Union Effect," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(6), pages 1322-1342, November.
    5. Aleksandra Kordalska & Magdalena Olczyk, 2018. "CEE Trade in Services: Value-Added Versus Gross Terms Approaches," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(4), pages 269-291, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    competitiveness; external trade; labour costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General

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