International Finance Discussion Papers (IFDP)
May 1991
Terms of Trade, The Trade Balance, and Stability: The Role of Savings Behavior
Michael Gavin
Abstract:
In conventional models of the open economy, the impact on the trade balance of a change in the terms of trade depends upon whether the Marshall-Lerner condition on demand elasticities is satisfied. This paper shows that, in a model which incorporates rational savings behavior, the link between the Marshall-Lerner condition and stability may survive intact or may be severed, depending upon the precise formulation of savings behavior.
PDF: Full Paper
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