Can the Standard International Business Cycle Model Explain the Relation between Trade and Comovement?

39 Pages Posted: 16 May 2005

See all articles by M. Ayhan Kose

M. Ayhan Kose

World Bank; Brookings Institution; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Australian National University (ANU)

Kei-Mu Yi

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 2005

Abstract

Recent empirical research finds that pairs of countries with stronger trade linkages tend to have more highly correlated business cycles. The authors assess whether the standard international business cycle framework can replicate this intuitive result. They employ a three-country model with transportation costs, and they simulate the effects of increased goods market integration under two asset market structures: complete markets and international financial autarky. The main finding is that under both asset market structures the model can generate stronger correlations for pairs of countries that trade more, but the increased correlation falls far short of the empirical findings. Even when the authors control for the fact that most country pairs are small with respect to the rest of the world, the model continues to fall short. They also conduct additional simulations that allow for increased trade with the third country or increased TFP shock comovement to affect the country pair's business cycle comovement. These simulations are helpful in highlighting channels that could narrow the gap between the empirical findings and the predictions of the model.

Keywords: International trade, International business cycle comovement

JEL Classification: F4

Suggested Citation

Kose, M. Ayhan and Yi, Kei-Mu, Can the Standard International Business Cycle Model Explain the Relation between Trade and Comovement? (January 2005). FRB Philadelphia Working Paper No. 05-3, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=707046 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.707046

M. Ayhan Kose (Contact Author)

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Brookings Institution ( email )

1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

London
United Kingdom

Australian National University (ANU) ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Kei-Mu Yi

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas ( email )

2200 North Pearl Street
PO Box 655906
Dallas, TX 75265-5906
United States

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