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The Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on China's Labor-Intensive Manufacturing Exports

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  • THORBECKE, Willem
  • Hanjiang ZHANG

Abstract

Chinese policymakers have resisted calls for faster renminbi appreciation partly because they fear it will reduce low technology exports. We investigate this issue using a panel data set including China's exports of labor-intensive goods to 30 countries. We find that an appreciation of the RMB would substantially reduce China's exports of clothing, furniture, and footwear. We also find that an increase in foreign income, an increase in the Chinese capital stock, and an appreciation among China's competitors would raise China's exports. Since Europe is the second leading exporter of labor-intensive manufactures behind China, these results indicate that the large appreciation of the euro relative to the RMB since 2001 has crowded out European exports.

Suggested Citation

  • THORBECKE, Willem & Hanjiang ZHANG, 2008. "The Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on China's Labor-Intensive Manufacturing Exports," Discussion papers 08038, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    • Handle: RePEc:eti:dpaper:08038
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    10. repec:zbw:bofitp:2007_006 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

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    3. Baek, Jungho & Nam, Soojoong, 2021. "The South Korea–China trade and the bilateral real exchange rate: Asymmetric evidence from 33 industries," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 463-475.
    4. Willem Thorbecke, 2015. "Enjoying the Fruits of Their Labor: Redirecting Exports to Asian Consumers," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 32(2), pages 95-114, September.
    5. Baiardi, Donatella & Bianchi, Carluccio, 2019. "At the roots of China's striking performance in textile exports: A comparison with its main Asian competitors," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 367-389.
    6. Bonatti, Luigi & Fracasso, Andrea, 2013. "Regime switches in the Sino-American co-dependency: Growth and structural change in China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 1-32.
    7. Shaghil Ahmed, 2009. "Are Chinese exports sensitive to changes in the exchange rate?," International Finance Discussion Papers 987, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    8. Françoise Nicolas, 2010. "De Factoandde Jureregional Economic Integration In East Asia: How Do They Interact," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 55(01), pages 7-25.
    9. Yin-Wong Cheung, 2012. "Exchange Rate Misalignment - The Case of the Chinese Renminbi," CESifo Working Paper Series 3797, CESifo.
    10. Luigi Bonatti & Andrea Fracasso, 2012. "The costs of rebalancing the China-US co-dependency," Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, Vita e Pensiero, Pubblicazioni dell'Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, vol. 120(1), pages 59-106.
    11. Bernd Schnatz, 2011. "Global Imbalances And The Pretence Of Knowing Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rates," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(5), pages 604-615, December.
    12. Pasrun Adam & Pasrun Adam & Rosnawintang Rosnawintang & Ambo Wonua Nusantara & Abd Aziz Muthalib, 2017. "A Model of the Dynamic of the Relationship between Exchange Rate and Indonesia's Export," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(1), pages 255-261.
    13. Willem THORBECKE, 2010. "The Appropriate Policy Mix for China," Policy Discussion Papers 10002, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    14. Hooy, Chee-Wooi & Siong-Hook, Law & Tze-Haw, Chan, 2015. "The impact of the Renminbi real exchange rate on ASEAN disaggregated exports to China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 253-259.
    15. Chen, Pei-Fen & Zeng, Jhih-Hong & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2018. "Renminbi exchange rate assessment and competitors' exports: New perspective," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 187-205.
    16. Fedoseeva, Svetlana & Zeidan, Rodrigo, 2016. "A dead-end tunnel or the light at the end of it: The role of BRICs in European exports," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 237-248.

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