Exchange Rate Pass-Through into Import Prices

Abstract

We provide cross-country and time series evidence on the extent of exchange rate pass-through into the import prices of 25 OECD countries. Across the OECD and especially within manufacturing industries, we find compelling evidence of partial pass-through in the short run, rejecting both producer-currency pricing and local currency pricing. Over the long run, producer-currency pricing is more prevalent for many types of imported goods. We show that many countries have experienced changes in exchange rate pass-through over the past decades. While we find that countries with higher rates of exchange rate volatility are also those with higher pass-through elasticities, we also conclude that macroeconomic variables have played only a minor role in accounting for the evolution of OECD pass-through over time. Far more important for pass-through changes have been the dramatic shifts in the composition of country import bundles.

Keywords: Exchange rates, pass-through, trade composition

JEL Classification: F30, F40