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International Price Dispersion in State-Dependent Pricing Models

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  • Virgiliu Midrigan

    (Ohio State University)

Abstract

Studies of disaggregated international price data document a robust, positive relationship between nominal exchange (NER) volatility and the variability of international relative prices. This relationship is interpreted as evidence that sticky prices rather than trade frictions are the source of the large law of one price deviations across locations. This paper shows that an explicitly micro-founded, menu-cost model predicts a hump-shaped rather than a monotonic relationship between relative price and nominal exchange rate volatility. The hump occurs at higher nominal exchange rate volatilities the less tradeable the goods are. We use this implication of the model to identify the size of the physical barriers that separate nations. Ad valorem trade costs as large as 50 percent are necessary for the model to generate the type of international relative price movements observed in the data.

Suggested Citation

  • Virgiliu Midrigan, 2005. "International Price Dispersion in State-Dependent Pricing Models," International Finance 0511001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpif:0511001
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    Cited by:

    1. Mina Kim & Deokwoo Nam & Jian Wang & Jason J. Wu, 2013. "International trade price stickiness and exchange rate pass-through in micro data: a case study on U.S.–China trade," Globalization Institute Working Papers 135, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    2. repec:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2009-020 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Murase, Koichi, 2013. "Asymmetric effects of the exchange rate on domestic corporate goods prices," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 25, pages 80-89.
    4. Landry, Anthony, 2009. "Expectations and exchange rate dynamics: A state-dependent pricing approach," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 60-71, June.
    5. Kano, Kazuko & Kano, Takashi & Takechi, Kazutaka, 2013. "Exaggerated death of distance: Revisiting distance effects on regional price dispersions," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 403-413.
    6. Marina Glushenkova & Andros Kourtellos & Marios Zachariadis, 2018. "Barriers to price convergence," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(7), pages 1081-1097, November.
    7. Kano, Kazuko & Kano, Takashi, 2021. "Welfare Costs of Exchange Rate Fluctuations: Evidence from the 1972 Okinawa Reversion," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-114, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    8. Magda Kandil, 2010. "Demand Shocks and the Cyclical Behavior of the Real Wage: Some International Evidence," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 135-158, May.
    9. Kevin XD Huang & Nam T Vu, 2019. "Rare but Long-lasting Liquidity Traps and Fiscal Stimulus," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 19-00014, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    10. Mina Kim & Deokwoo Nam & Jian Wang & Jason J. Wu, 2013. "International trade price stickiness and exchange rate pass-through in micro data: a case study on U.S.–China trade," Globalization Institute Working Papers 135, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    11. Gita Gopinath & Oleg Itskhoki, 2010. "Frequency of Price Adjustment and Pass-Through," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 125(2), pages 675-727.
    12. Ried, Stefan, 2009. "Putting up a good fight: The Galí-Monacelli model versus "The six major puzzles in international macroeconomics"," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2009-020, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    13. Burstein, Ariel & Gopinath, Gita, 2014. "International Prices and Exchange Rates," Handbook of International Economics, in: Gopinath, G. & Helpman, . & Rogoff, K. (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 391-451, Elsevier.
    14. Mina Kim & Deokwoo Nam & Jian Wang & Jason Wu, 2013. "International Trade Price Stickiness and Exchange Rate and Pass-Through in Micro Data: A Case Study on US-China Trade," Working Papers 202013, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    PPP; Law of One Price; menu costs; trade costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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