The Real Exchange Rate Always Floats

Thorvaldur Gylfason

No 3376, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: This Paper makes two main points. First, irrespective of nominal exchange rate arrangements, the real exchange rate always floats ? if not through nominal exchange rate adjustment, then through price change. Further, because prices and wages tend to be sticky, the adjustment of real exchange rates towards long-run equilibrium takes time, as witnessed by long-lasting currency misalignments around the world. Second, real exchange rates are likely to fluctuate on their way towards long-run equilibrium because of the dynamic interaction between real exchange rates and the current account; or, put differently, because the structure of lags with which exchange rates impact the volume of exports and imports may give rise to oscillatory behaviour.

Keywords: Flexible; exchange; rates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ifn and nep-rmg
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
https://cepr.org/publications/DP3376 (application/pdf)
CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org

Related works:
Journal Article: The Real Exchange Rate Always Floats (2002)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:3376

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
https://cepr.org/publications/DP3376

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers Centre for Economic Policy Research, 33 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DX.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().