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How Optimal are the Extremes?: Latin American Exchange Rate Policies During the Asian Crisis

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  • Ricardo Ffrench-Davis
  • Guillermo Larraín

Abstract

During the Asian crisis, intermediate exchange rate regimes vanished. It has been argued that those regimes were no longer useful and only the extremes remained valid. The paper analyses three foreign exchange regimes: Argentina (pegged), Chile (band) and Mexico (float). The Argentinean currency board delivered low financial volatility while it was credible, but even then it displayed high real volatility. Mexican float performed well in periods of instability isolating the real sector. The Chilean band delivered a mixed outcome as compared to Argentina and Mexico.

Suggested Citation

  • Ricardo Ffrench-Davis & Guillermo Larraín, 2002. "How Optimal are the Extremes?: Latin American Exchange Rate Policies During the Asian Crisis," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-18, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:dp2002-18
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    1. Ricardo Ffrench-Davis & Leonardo Villar, 2006. "Real Macroeconomic Stability and the Capital Account in Chile and Colombia," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Ricardo Ffrench-Davis (ed.), Seeking Growth Under Financial Volatility, chapter 4, pages 96-138, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Graciela Moguillansky, 2002. "Non-Financial Corporate Risk Management and Exchange Rate Volatility in Latin America," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-30, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Machinea, José Luis & Rozenwurcel, Guillermo, 2005. "Macroeconomic coordination in Latin America: does it have a future?," Series Históricas 7858, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    4. Ocampo, José Antonio, 2003. "Capital-account and counter-cyclical prudential regulations in developing countries," Copublicaciones, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 1796.
    5. Ffrench-Davis, Ricardo, 2003. "Financial crisis and national policy issues: an overview," Copublicaciones, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 1785.
    6. Martin Grandes & Helmut Reisen, 2003. "Hard Peg versus Soft Float. A Tale of Two Latin-American Countries," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 54(5), pages 1057-1090.
    7. Hochreiter, Eduard & Schmidt-Hebbel, Klaus & Winckler, Georg, 2002. "Monetary union: European lessons, Latin American prospects," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 297-321, December.
    8. José Antonio Ocampo, 2005. "A Broad View of Macroeconomic Stability," Working Papers 1, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    9. Grandes, Martín & Reisen, Helmut, 2005. "Exchange rate regimes and macroeconomic performance in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    10. Ghymers, Christian, 2005. "Fostering economic policy coordination in Latin America: the REDIMA approach to escaping the prisoner's dilemma," Libros de la CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 2417 edited by Eclac, May.
    11. Carlos A. Ibarra, 2004. "Capital Flows, Exchange Rate Regime, and Macroeconomic Performance in Mexico," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2004-27, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Elkinawy, Susan, 2005. "Mutual fund preferences for Latin American equities surrounding financial crises," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 211-237, September.
    13. Shari Spiegel, 2007. "Macroeconomics and Growth Policies," Policy Notes 1, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    14. Guillermo Larrain & Mariel Siravegna & Guillermo Yañez, 2009. "Intégration aux marchés financiers internationaux et lissage de la consommation : observations récentes en Amérique latine," Revue d'Économie Financière, Programme National Persée, vol. 95(2), pages 87-108.

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