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Putting the Parts Together: Trade, Vertical Linkages, and Business Cycle Comovement

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  • Mr. Andrei A Levchenko
  • Mr. Julian Di Giovanni

Abstract

Countries that trade more with each other exhibit higher business cycle correlation. This paper examines the mechanisms underlying this relationship using a large cross-country industry-level panel dataset of manufacturing production and trade. We show that sector pairs that experience more bilateral trade exhibit stronger comovement. Vertical linkages in production are an important explanation behind this effect: bilateral international trade increases comovement significantly more in cross-border industry pairs that use each other as intermediate inputs. Our estimates imply that these vertical production linkages account for some 30% of the total impact of bilateral trade on the business cycle correlation.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Andrei A Levchenko & Mr. Julian Di Giovanni, 2009. "Putting the Parts Together: Trade, Vertical Linkages, and Business Cycle Comovement," IMF Working Papers 2009/181, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2009/181
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    WP; business cycle;

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies

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