Seminar in International Economics: Bilateral Trade Imbalances (Online event)

The Competence Centre for International Economics Research (FIW) kindly invites to participate in the Seminar in International Economics on the topic

Bilateral Trade Imbalances

Alejandro Cuñat
(University of Vienna)

Thursday, 6th of May 2021, 4:00 p.m. (CET)

Registration link:
https://wiiw.ac.at/bilateral-trade-imbalances-online-event-e-516.html
This is an online event via Zoom. Please register for the dial-in link. The link will be sent shortly before the event.

Abstract
This presentation is based on a paper co-authored with Robert Zymek.

Bilateral trade imbalances are determined by aggregate trade imbalances, production and expenditure patterns, and trade barriers. We calibrate a dynamic many-sector trade model to match the recent sectoral trade and production shares of 40 economies and the rest of the world. Through a variance decomposition and counterfactuals, the model allows us to assess the relative importance of these determinants for the observed variation in bilateral imbalances. Large pairwise asymmetries in residual trade “wedges” are needed for the model to match the data. These account for roughly 60% of the variation, with most of the rest due to differences in production and expenditure patterns. Aggregate trade imbalances play a minor role. A counterfactual trade policy which eliminates trade-wedge asymmetries would have sizeable effects on bilateral trade patterns and welfare. However, it would leave aggregate trade balances virtually unchanged.

The seminar series is organised by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) in co-operation with FIW, the Centre of Competence in International Economics. The seminar provides a forum for presentation and discussion of recent academic research in the field of international economics.