Business cycles,bilateral trade and international financial intergration: Evidence from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Stéphane Zouri

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper identifies the determinants of synchronization of business cycles in ECOWAS because it allows decision-makers to better target their economic policies. It is relevant given the willingness of ECOWAS heads of state to create a single currency by 2020. Indeed, conducting actions in the direction of the synchronization of business cycles is important because the asymmetries of the cycles observed within a monetary union determine its sustainability. Unlike previous studies in this area, it is innovative as it takes into account international financial integration. In addition, it proposes new measures to increase the quality of results. Finally, it takes into account the structure of trade by analyzing inter-regional links. The results show that bilateral trade and financial openness are determinants of the synchronization of business cycles in the region. However, they show that, trade channel dominates financial openness channel. In addition, the results show that the weakness of intra-community trade doesn’t constitute a barrier to monetary union.

Keywords: business cycles; trade intensity; financial integration; ECOWAS. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E32 F15 F36 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-07-22
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-fdg, nep-int and nep-mac
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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