The dissertation studies a model of an economy which produces and exports durable goods. It analyzes the optimal monetary policy for such a country. Generally, monetary policy has a bigger economic effect on durable goods relative to non-durable goods because durable goods can be stored and households get utility from the stock of durable goods. This dissertation shows that, in Nash equilibrium, the central bank of a durable goods producing country can control changes of the price level with smaller changes in the monetary policy instrument. In the cooperative equilibrium, the monetary authority of the country which imports non-durable goods and exports durable goods should raise the interest rate by more, relative to the Nash case, in response to a rise in foreign inflation. On the other hand, the monetary authority of the country which imports durable goods and exports non-durable goods should raise the interest rate by less than the other country.

Este trabalho estima a resposta de um conjunto de variáveis macroeconômicas e financeiras brasileiras a um choque na política monetária dos EUA, identificando os canais pelos quais a política monetária externa afeta as variáveis domésticas do Brasil. Para tanto, são identificadas séries de choques monetários para a economia norte-americana, posteriormente incluídos em um modelo BVAR com um conjunto de variáveis brasileiras, seguindo Miranda-Agrippino e Rey (2015). A robustez dos resultados é testada pela estimação modelos contendo distintas medidas da mudanças na política monetária norte-americana, e pela utilização de duas estratégias de identificação de modelos VAR. Os resultados sugerem que em sequência a uma contração monetária de 100 b.p. na economia norte-americana, observa-se uma queda 2% no quantum de exportação e importação e uma queda de quase US$800 milhões sobre o fluxo de crédito externo bancário e de portfólio para a economia brasileira. Contudo, os impactos desses efeitos sobre a produção e sobre as taxas de juros domésticas é não significante. Os canais de transmissão convencionais baseados no câmbio e no comércio externo são mais significativos que o crédito externo para a transmissão dos efeitos dos choques monetários norte-americanos. / This study estimates the response of a set of Brazilian macroeconomic and financial variables to a US monetary policy shock, identifying the channels through which the external monetary policy affects Brazilian domestic variables. For that purpose, a number of series of monetary policy shocks for American economy are identified, and afterwards included in a BVAR model along with a set of Brazilian variables, following -Agrippino e Rey (2015). The robustness of the results is tested by estimating models containing different measures of American monetary policy changes, and by using two different identification strategies. The results suggest that following a monetary policy contraction of 100 b.p. in the US, a fall of aproximately a fall of 2% in the quantum of exports and imports is observerd, as well as a fall of almost US$800 million at the external bank and portfolio inflow of credit in the Brazilian economy. However, the impact of these effects at the domestic output and interest rates is not significant. Conventional transmission channels based on exchange rates and external trade are more significant than the one based on external credit for the transmission of American monetary policy effects.

Este trabalho estima a resposta de um conjunto de variáveis macroeconômicas e financeiras brasileiras a um choque na política monetária dos EUA, identificando os canais pelos quais a política monetária externa afeta as variáveis domésticas do Brasil. Para tanto, são identificadas séries de choques monetários para a economia norte-americana, posteriormente incluídos em um modelo BVAR com um conjunto de variáveis brasileiras, seguindo Miranda-Agrippino e Rey (2015). A robustez dos resultados é testada pela estimação modelos contendo distintas medidas da mudanças na política monetária norte-americana, e pela utilização de duas estratégias de identificação de modelos VAR. Os resultados sugerem que em sequência a uma contração monetária de 100 b.p. na economia norte-americana, observa-se uma queda 2% no quantum de exportação e importação e uma queda de quase US$800 milhões sobre o fluxo de crédito externo bancário e de portfólio para a economia brasileira. Contudo, os impactos desses efeitos sobre a produção e sobre as taxas de juros domésticas é não significante. Os canais de transmissão convencionais baseados no câmbio e no comércio externo são mais significativos que o crédito externo para a transmissão dos efeitos dos choques monetários norte-americanos. / This study estimates the response of a set of Brazilian macroeconomic and financial variables to a US monetary policy shock, identifying the channels through which the external monetary policy affects Brazilian domestic variables. For that purpose, a number of series of monetary policy shocks for American economy are identified, and afterwards included in a BVAR model along with a set of Brazilian variables, following -Agrippino e Rey (2015). The robustness of the results is tested by estimating models containing different measures of American monetary policy changes, and by using two different identification strategies. The results suggest that following a monetary policy contraction of 100 b.p. in the US, a fall of aproximately a fall of 2% in the quantum of exports and imports is observerd, as well as a fall of almost US$800 million at the external bank and portfolio inflow of credit in the Brazilian economy. However, the impact of these effects at the domestic output and interest rates is not significant. Conventional transmission channels based on exchange rates and external trade are more significant than the one based on external credit for the transmission of American monetary policy effects.

This dissertation consists of three essays on capital controls and exchange rate regimes. The first essay, under the background of international monetary policy trilemma, empirically investigates the validity of the proposition that holding the degree of exchange rate stability constant, a decrease in capital mobility through imposition of capital controls will enhance monetary independence. Using a panel dataset covering 88 countries for the 1995-2010 period and system GMM estimation, this paper finds that 1) capital controls help improve a country’s monetary independence; 2) the effectiveness of capital controls depends on the types of assets and the direction of flows they are imposed; 3) the choice of exchange rate regime has important impact on the effectiveness of capital controls on monetary independence. The second essay examines the role of capital controls on economic growth. Conventional wisdom suggests that allowing international capital flows improves domestic investment and growth by providing extra resources through international capital market, yet the flows can be misallocated to finance speculative or low-quality domestic investments. Using a panel dataset covering 78 countries over 1995-2009, this paper finds that 1) capital control policies promote economic growth after taking into account a country’s de facto level of capital flows; 2) controls on capital inflows helps a country’s economic growth, but not controls on outflows; 3) restrictions on different asset types affect growth differently. Capital controls on equity type flows are less effective than controls on debt type flows or direct investment. The third examines the role of exchange rate flexibility on current account balances. Global imbalances have become an important issue for economists and policy makers. Greater exchange rate flexibility is often suggested as a means to achieve faster and more efficient adjustment in the current account. However, previous empirical studies show little support for this hypothesis. This essay revisits this issue with a large panel dataset and Threshold VAR model and finds that 1) the speed of the current account adjustment is higher in a regime with greater exchange rate variability; 2) some existing popular exchange rate classifications may not capture actual exchange rate variability as well as expected.