On the Connections between Intertemporal and Intra-temporal Trades / Jiandong Ju, Kang Shi, Shang-Jin Wei.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ju, Jiandong.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Shi, Kang.

Wei, Shang-Jin.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w17549.

NBER working paper series no. w17549

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2011.

Summary:

This paper develops a new theory of international economics by introducing Heckscher-Ohlin features of intra-temporal trade into an intertemporal trade approach of current account. To do so, we consider a dynamic general equilibrium model with tradable sectors of different factor intensities, which allows for substitution between intertemporal trade (current account adjustment) and intra-temporal trade (goods trade). An economy's response to a shock generally involves a combination of a change in the composition of goods trade and a change in the current account. Flexible factor markets reduce the need for the current account to adjust. On the other hand, the more rigid the factor markets, the larger the size of current account adjustment relative to the volume of goods trade, and the slower the speed of adjustment of the current account towards its long-run equilibrium. We present empirical evidence consistent with the theory.

Notes:

Print version record

October 2011.