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

Zouri, Stéphane (2019): Business cycles,bilateral trade and international financial intergration : Evidence from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: French
• Keywords: business cycles, trade intensity, financial integration, ECOWAS.
• Subjects: E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E3 - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles > E32 - Business Fluctuations ; Cycles; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration; F - International Economics > F3 - International Finance > F36 - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O5 - Economywide Country Studies > O55 - Africa

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