Latin American Trade Elasticities

A survey of trade elasticities published for Latin American economies is conducted. Articles surveyed were published between 1975 and 1997. They include data from the mid-1950s through the mid-1990s. Imports are found to be highly income elastic as well as very price inelastic. Relatively fewer export function estimates are reported for Latin America than for other regions of the world. The estimates published indicate that exports were more elastic than anticipated under fixed exchange rate regimes. Results further indicate that Latin American trade flows respond heterogeneously to variations in domestic prices, foreign prices, and exchange rates.