In this study, a total of nine regression models were performed with three different dependent variables, nine independent variables, in three different country groups, to find out the relationship between crypto adoption and remittances, monetary uncertainty and financial inclusion. The results show a statistically significant relationship between increased crypto adoption and historical exchange rate volatility in both high- and low-income countries. Peer-to-peer exchange trade volume in low-income countries also seems to be affected by the proportion of the population that sends remittances. Based on these findings, it seems like cryptocurrencies are not only seen as asset substitution, i.e., something to risk diversify the investment portfolio with, it also seems to be used as a currency substitution.

This dissertation investigates the effects of changes in technologies and trade-related policies on income inequality. The first chapter shows that an advancement in labor saving technologies, known as automation, raises the agglomeration of economic activity in large cities and increases wage inequality across regions. I show novel stylized facts about the relationship between city size and the routineness of tasks performed by workers. I develop a general equilibrium model of a spatial economy where automation affects the type of tasks performed by workers and is related to a firm's choice of production location. The model generates several predictions that are consistent with stylized facts and existing empirical evidence: larger cities have greater agglomerations of firms and grow larger when firms can automate more tasks in the production process. The model predicts that an increase in automation raises wage dispersion between larger and smaller cities. A 20% rise in automation increases wages in the top decile of largest cities by about 8% and lowers wages in smaller cities by about 2-8% and hence widens the wage gap by about 10 to 16 %. The second chapter investigates the effect of exchange rate volatility on the intensive and extensive margin of trade, and on income inequality within a country. It finds that the greater volatility in exchange rates lowers trade margins and income inequality. I derive testable predictions regarding the impact of exchange rate volatility on trade margins at the firm level and on income distribution at the industry level. I empirically test these predictions using firm-level microdata. Empirical results provide clear support in favor of the model's predictions about the effects of volatility on trade margins. Finally, in the third chapter, my coauthors and I investigate the effect of Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status on the price of insulin, an essential medicine for diabetes, and on households’ welfare and poverty. We find that upon Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC status, the price of insulin could rise as much as 11 times the current price for patented insulin if an unregulated monopoly is allowed. This would significantly reduce welfare and increase the incidence of poverty for households with members suffering from diabetes.

This research investigates the impact of disruptions and regional integration on agricultural and food trade, relying on a unique international and intranational (domestic) agri-food trade dataset and structural gravity. In the first chapter, we investigate the impact of animal diseases on trade of animal-based products. We found that animal disease outbreaks decrease exports by 4% on average per year, amounting to annualized losses of 96 billion of 2019 USD. Trade quantities decline by 8% (51 million tons) on average per year. Impacts are mostly concentrated on consumer products (mainly pork), and low-income and lower-medium-income exporting countries. Our results suggest that animal diseases affect more domestic markets than foreign ones, and that dependent importers are the most sensitive to animal disease outbreaks abroad. Lastly, participation in the same RTA is found to mitigate animal diseases' trade impact, showing another potential channel through which regional integration could affect members' trade. In the second chapter, we explore the effect of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on agricultural and food trade flows. We consider the entire official lifetime of the agreement, including its 14-years phase-in period, which allow us to offer a comprehensive evaluation of one of the biggest trade agreements on agri-food trade. NAFTA is found to increase members' trade on average by 54%, corresponding to 11.9 billion of 2020 USD, annually. Trade involving Mexico, and especially Canada-Mexico, has increased substantially showing that trade agreements between developed and developing countries could be beneficial to both members. NAFTA's impact is found to be heterogeneous by products with cereals experiencing the biggest increase. Trade of products incompletely liberalized by NAFTA such as dairy, poultry, and eggs, did not increase as much as the trade of liberalized products. We do not find evidence of trade diversion, suggesting that NAFTA's agri-food trade gains did not come at the expense of trading with other partners. Lastly, NAFTA appears to be more trade enhancing (about four times more) than other agreements of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. (e.g. Canada-E.U., or Mexico-Brazil, or U.S.-Korea.) In the third chapter, we question whether trade agreements alleviate the impact of shocks on trade. More specifically, we investigate if RTAs mitigate the impact of exchange rate (ER) volatility on agri-food trade. We found that RTAs amplify the effect of ER volatility on agri-food trade. The trade impact of ER volatility on RTA members is found to be positive, suggesting that members' agri-food trade benefits from ER volatility, contrary to non-members' trade. This could result from larger profits from arbitrage due to reduced trade costs between RTA members. Our results display a strong heterogeneity according to sectors, exporters and importers' income, and level of integration of RTA. Only Partial Scope Agreements, the lowest regional integration level, amplify the effect of ER volatility on members' agri-food trade. / Doctor of Philosophy / This research evaluates the impact of factors that cause trade disruption and the impact of trade agreements on agricultural and food trade. In the first chapter, we investigate the impact of animal diseases on trade of animal-related products. Findings indicate that animal diseases decrease the value of trade on average 4% annually, amounting to 96 billion of 2019 USD annualized loss. Trade quantities are reduced by 8%, or 51 million tons yearly on average. This impact differs with respect to animal diseases, products, and income levels of countries. Animal diseases affect more the domestic market, while countries depending to foreign suppliers are those affected the most by animal disease outbreaks abroad. Regional trade agreements (RTAs) mitigate the impact of animal diseases, showing that trade integration could benefit their members beyond the lowering their tariffs. In the second chapter, we evaluate the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on agri-food trade. We found that NAFTA increased members' trade by 54%, amounting to 11.9 billion of 2020 USD annually on average. NAFTA's trade gains were distributed heterogeneously across members, with trade between Canada and Mexico recording the largest proportional gains. Cereals recorded substantial gains during NAFTA, while the trade of beef and vegetables also increased. The trade though of some products that did not become completely tariff-free by members, such as eggs, dairy, and poultry, underperformed. Lastly, NAFTA increased Canada, Mexico, and U.S. trade about 4.5 times more than the other agreements signed by the three countries. In the third chapter, we investigate whether RTAs mitigate the impact of exchange rate (ER) volatility on agri-food trade. The results suggest that RTAs amplify the impact of ER volatility, however, this is in favor of RTA members, since the impact of ER volatility on their trade is positive. The results are heterogeneous across sectors, incomes of exporters and importers, and extent of liberalization by RTAs. Partial Scope Agreements, the lowest level of trade liberalizing agreements, are the only type of RTAs that amplify (or affect in general) the effect of ER volatility on members' agri-food trade.

This paper investigates whether Tobin tax would be effective to reduce exchange rate volatility. When the rational speculators observe different temporarily shocks and take Tobin tax into account, the exchange rate will have either stable or unstable path through speculators’ changing optimal holdings. If the effect of current account shock dominates the effect of interest differential shock, the imposition of tax will stabilize the currency. This result is consistent with Tobin’s view. On the contrary, if the effect of interest differential shock dominates the effect of current account shock, the imposition of tax will destabilize the currency. The best policy in this case is to let international capitals move freely.

Seguindo a literatura mais recente sobre o tema, a presente dissertação teve por objetivo aferir as elasticidades da função de oferta brasileira de exportação de soja para a china à variabilidade da taxa de câmbio. Sob o viés que a alta inflação brasileira gera nas variáveis independentes, mais de um recorte para a instrumentalização dos diferentes determinantes foi considerado no design de pesquisa. Este adotoua cointegração por meio da abordagem do teste de Fronteiras de Pesaranpara a especificação concomitante de modelos ARDL(12,12,12,12) e ARDL (8,8,8,8,8) com doze ou oito trimestres-safra defasados, para o período compreendendo o primeiro trimestre de 1999 ao segundo de 2016. A busca por evidências para relações de longo prazo das exportações em toneladas de soja do Brasil para a China se deu em termos dos valores passados destas, bem como dos valores atuais e passados dos preços relativos, da demanda chinesa e da volatilidade cambial. A partir dos resultados destas projeções, o raciocínio sobre a influência da volatilidade cambial sobre as exportações de soja brasileira indica que esta, de fato, é positiva no longo prazo.Já no curto prazo são encontrados efeitos negativos. Assim, o aumento do risco pode diminuiras exportações dentro de um mesmo ano-safra, mas seu impacto é fundamentalmente positivo para o sojicultor. Dessa forma, como preconizado por Schultz (1980) os sojicultores são empreendedores que não são avessos ao risco. Pelo contrário, eles são entusiastas do risco, não apenas por este ser parte importante de suas decisões de investimento e financiamento, mas também porque a volatilidade maior aumenta a utilidade em exportar do sojicultor. / The objective of this dissertation was to assess the elasticity of Brazilian soybean exports to China in terms of the variability - or risk - of the exchange rate. In order to consider the bias of inflation volatility on the assessment of the independent variables, more than one methodology to calculate the different regressors was used. Projections were made using Pesaran´sbounds testapproach to cointegration, through the concomitant specification of ARDL (12,12,12,12) and ARDL(8,8,8,8,8) models consisting of up to twelve or eight lagged quarters- aggregated to the crop calendar- for the period from the first quarter of 1999 to the second quarter of 2016. Elasticity estimations from this approach allowed a search for long-run forcing influence between the regressors and Brazil\'s soybean exports, in terms of past values- in tons- of these, as well as current and past values of relative prices, Chinese demand and exchange rate volatility measures. The results of these projections indicate that an increase in risk has indeed a positiveeffect in the long term, while within the crop-year the effects are found to be negative. Thus, an increase in volatility may decrease exports in the short term, but its impact is fundamentally positive to the soy farmer. Thus, as advocated by Schultz (1980), soybean farmers are entrepreneurs who are not risk averse. On the contrary, they are risk enthusiasts, not only because the bulk of their investment decisions are subject to uncertainty, but also because an increase in volatility increases the utility that a soybean farmer extracts from exports.

<p>This project &quot / An application of multiple regression in exchange rate arrangement&quot / focused on the processes followed by different countries when choosing an exchange rate regime for currency stabilization. It analyses the consequences faced by emerging markets as a result of changes in volatility of developed countries&rsquo / currencies (American Dollar, Japanese Yen, EURO, British Pound and the Canadian Dollar).</p>

<p>This project &quot / An application of multiple regression in exchange rate arrangement&quot / focused on the processes followed by different countries when choosing an exchange rate regime for currency stabilization. It analyses the consequences faced by emerging markets as a result of changes in volatility of developed countries&rsquo / currencies (American Dollar, Japanese Yen, EURO, British Pound and the Canadian Dollar).</p>

Seguindo a literatura mais recente sobre o tema, a presente dissertação teve por objetivo aferir as elasticidades da função de oferta brasileira de exportação de soja para a china à variabilidade da taxa de câmbio. Sob o viés que a alta inflação brasileira gera nas variáveis independentes, mais de um recorte para a instrumentalização dos diferentes determinantes foi considerado no design de pesquisa. Este adotoua cointegração por meio da abordagem do teste de Fronteiras de Pesaranpara a especificação concomitante de modelos ARDL(12,12,12,12) e ARDL (8,8,8,8,8) com doze ou oito trimestres-safra defasados, para o período compreendendo o primeiro trimestre de 1999 ao segundo de 2016. A busca por evidências para relações de longo prazo das exportações em toneladas de soja do Brasil para a China se deu em termos dos valores passados destas, bem como dos valores atuais e passados dos preços relativos, da demanda chinesa e da volatilidade cambial. A partir dos resultados destas projeções, o raciocínio sobre a influência da volatilidade cambial sobre as exportações de soja brasileira indica que esta, de fato, é positiva no longo prazo.Já no curto prazo são encontrados efeitos negativos. Assim, o aumento do risco pode diminuiras exportações dentro de um mesmo ano-safra, mas seu impacto é fundamentalmente positivo para o sojicultor. Dessa forma, como preconizado por Schultz (1980) os sojicultores são empreendedores que não são avessos ao risco. Pelo contrário, eles são entusiastas do risco, não apenas por este ser parte importante de suas decisões de investimento e financiamento, mas também porque a volatilidade maior aumenta a utilidade em exportar do sojicultor. / The objective of this dissertation was to assess the elasticity of Brazilian soybean exports to China in terms of the variability - or risk - of the exchange rate. In order to consider the bias of inflation volatility on the assessment of the independent variables, more than one methodology to calculate the different regressors was used. Projections were made using Pesaran´sbounds testapproach to cointegration, through the concomitant specification of ARDL (12,12,12,12) and ARDL(8,8,8,8,8) models consisting of up to twelve or eight lagged quarters- aggregated to the crop calendar- for the period from the first quarter of 1999 to the second quarter of 2016. Elasticity estimations from this approach allowed a search for long-run forcing influence between the regressors and Brazil\'s soybean exports, in terms of past values- in tons- of these, as well as current and past values of relative prices, Chinese demand and exchange rate volatility measures. The results of these projections indicate that an increase in risk has indeed a positiveeffect in the long term, while within the crop-year the effects are found to be negative. Thus, an increase in volatility may decrease exports in the short term, but its impact is fundamentally positive to the soy farmer. Thus, as advocated by Schultz (1980), soybean farmers are entrepreneurs who are not risk averse. On the contrary, they are risk enthusiasts, not only because the bulk of their investment decisions are subject to uncertainty, but also because an increase in volatility increases the utility that a soybean farmer extracts from exports.

In this thesis financial movements are considered in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) and a related way to international banking. In Chapter 2 FDI is analysed in terms of the major G7 economies. Then this is further handled in Chapter 3 in terms of bilateral FDI (BFDI) data related to a broader group of economies and a main mode of analysis the Gravity model. Gravity models are then used in Chapter 4 to analyse bilateral cross border lending in a similar way. While the exchange rate effect is handled in terms of volatility and measured using models of conditional variance. The analysis focused on the bilateral data pays attention to the breakdown of crises across the whole period. With further consideration made of the Euro zone in terms of the study of BFDI and cross border lending. The initial study looks at the determinants of the inflow and outflow of stocks of FDI in the G7 economies for the period 1980-2011. A number of factors, such as research and development (R&D), openness and relative costs are shown to be important, but the main focus is on the impact of the real and nominal effective exchange rate volatility. Where nominal and real exchange rate volatility are measured using a model of generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) to explain the variance. Although the impact of volatility is theoretically ambiguous inflows are generally negatively affected by increased volatility, whilst there is some evidence outflows increase when volatility rises. In Chapter 3, the effect of bilateral exchange rate volatility is analysed using BFDI stocks, from 14 high income countries to all the OECD countries over the period 1995-2012. This is done using annual panel data with a gravity model. The empirical analysis applies the generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator to a gravity model of BFDI stocks. The findings imply that exports, GDP and distance are key variables that follow from the Gravity model. This study considers the East Asian, global financial markets and systemic banking crises have exerted an impact on BFDI. These effects vary by the type and origin of the crisis, but are generally negative. A high degree of exchange rate volatility discourages BFDI. Chapter 4 considers the determinants of cross-border banking activity from 19 advanced countries to the European Union (EU) over the period 1999-2014. Bilateral country-level stock data on cross-border lending is examined. The data allows us to analyse the effect of financial crises – differentiated by type: systemic banking crises, the global financial crisis, the Euro debt crisis and the Lehman Brothers crisis on the geography of cross-border lending. The problem is analysed using quarterly panel data with a Gravity model. The empirical "Gravity" model conditioned on distance and size measured by GDP is a benchmark in explaining the volume of cross border banking activities. In addition to the investigation of the impact of crises further comparison is made by investigating the impact of European integration on cross-border banking activities between member states. These results are robust to various econometric methodologies, samples, and institutional characteristics.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / This project "An application of multiple regression in exchange rate arrangement" focused on the processes followed by different countries when choosing an exchange rate regime for currency stabilization. It analyses the consequences faced by emerging markets as a result of changes in volatility of developed countries&rsquo; currencies (American Dollar, Japanese Yen, EURO, British Pound and the Canadian Dollar). / South Africa