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Rebalancing in the Euro Area and Cyclicality of Current Account Adjustments

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  • Mr. Thierry Tressel
  • Mr. Shengzu Wang

Abstract

The paper examines progress with the external rebalancing of euro area deficit countries. Relative prices are adjusting at different pace across countries and with different compositions of wage cuts and labor shedding. There is so far limited evidence of resource re-allocation from non-tradable to tradable sectors, while improved export performance is still dependent on external demand from the rest of world. Current account adjustments have taken place, reflecting structural changes but also cyclical forces, suggesting that part of the improvements may unwind when cyclical conditions improve. Looking ahead, relying only on relative price adjustments (which adversely affects demand) to rebalance the euro area could prove very challenging. Structural reforms will play an important role in the reallocation of resources to the tradable sector and the associated relative price adjustment, while boosting non-price and price competitiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Thierry Tressel & Mr. Shengzu Wang, 2014. "Rebalancing in the Euro Area and Cyclicality of Current Account Adjustments," IMF Working Papers 2014/130, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2014/130
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    2. Michael Bleaney & Lin Yin, 2015. "Price Adjustment in Currency Unions," Discussion Papers 15/06, University of Nottingham, School of Economics.
    3. Lukas Vogel, 2017. "Stabilization and Rebalancing with Fiscal or Monetary Devaluation: a Model-Based Comparison," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 63(2), pages 235-253.
    4. Belke, Ansgar & Gros, Daniel, 2017. "Optimal adjustment paths in a monetary union," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 338-345.
    5. Ozhan, Galip Kemal, 2020. "Financial intermediation, resource allocation, and macroeconomic interdependence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 265-278.
    6. Serhan Cevik & Jan Gottschalk & Eric Hutton & Laura Jaramillo & Pooja Karnane & Mousse Sow, 2019. "Structural transformation and tax efficiency," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 341-379, December.
    7. Staehr, Karsten & Vermeulen, Robert, 2016. "How competitiveness shocks affect macroeconomic performance across euro area countries," Working Paper Series 1940, European Central Bank.
    8. Pierluigi, Beatrice & Sondermann, David, 2018. "Macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area: where do we stand?," Occasional Paper Series 211, European Central Bank.
    9. Enno Schröder, 2015. "Eurozone Imbalances: Measuring the Contribution of Expenditure Switching and Expenditure Volumes 1990-2013," Working Papers 1508, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics, revised Sep 2015.
    10. Belke, Ansgar & Gros, Daniel, 2016. "Negative Rates and Seigniorage: Turning the central bank business model upside down? The special case of the ECB," CEPS Papers 11753, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    11. Hohberger, Stefan & Kraus, Lena, 2016. "Is fiscal devaluation welfare enhancing?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 512-522.
    12. Serranito, Francisco, 2015. "Dévaluation interne, politiques structurelles et réductions des déficits publics : les réponses apportées par la « troïka » sont-elles un remède aux déséquilibres externes des pays périphériques de la," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 18.
    13. Radovan Kovačević, 2018. "Structural And Cyclical Factors Of Serbia’S Current Account," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 63(217), pages 75-98, April – J.
    14. Ozhan, Galip Kemal, 2020. "Financial intermediation, resource allocation, and macroeconomic interdependence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 265-278.
    15. Radovan Kovačević, 2019. "The Export Performance Of The Euro Area: A Panel Quantile Regression Approach," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 64(222), pages 7-62, July – Se.
    16. Mar Delgado-Téllez & Enrique Moral-Benito & Francesca Viani, 2020. "An anatomy of the Spanish current account adjustment: the role of permanent and transitory factors," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 501-529, December.
    17. Carlos A. Ibarra, 2016. "Investment, asset market, and the relative unit labor cost in Mexico," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 339-364, November.
    18. Tkačevs, Olegs & Christodoulopoulou, Styliani & Bobeica, Elena, 2016. "The role of price and cost competitiveness for intra- and extra-euro area trade of euro area countries," Working Paper Series 1941, European Central Bank.
    19. Ana Fontoura Gouveia & Filipa Canas, 2016. "Reallocation of Resources between Tradable and Non-Tradable Sectors in Portugal: Developing a new Identification Strategy for the Tradable Sector," GEE Papers 0060, Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia, revised Feb 2016.
    20. Camba-Crespo Alfonso & García-Solanes José & Torrejón-Flores Fernando, 2022. "Current-Account Imbalances, Real Exchange-Rate Misalignments, and Output Gaps," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 16(1), pages 57-72, January.
    21. Staehr, Karsten & Vermeulen, Robert, 2016. "How competitiveness shocks affect macroeconomic performance across euro area countries," Working Paper Series 1940, European Central Bank.

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