For the period between 1988 and 2009, we constructed the two sets of the world panel database for the pollution emission embedded in international trade. By applying the time-invariant common pollution intensity at industry level for international trade of over 150 countries, a change in...

This Selected Issues paper analyzes the properties of the fiscal surplus rule, a key pillar of Chile’s macroeconomic framework. The findings suggest that the rule is near the volatility-minimizing efficiency frontier. The paper assesses the vulnerability of the Chilean banking system to...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

The creation, in 1994, of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) customs union was a major step in the regional integration process in central Africa. The implementation of the agreed regime by the member countries, however, has remained unsatisfactory. A 2002–03...

This 2005 Article IV Consultation underlies that in 2004, Libya’s macroeconomic performance was satisfactory, owing mainly to higher oil prices and increased oil output. Real GDP grew 4½ percent while consumer prices declined. The favorable developments in the oil market contributed to...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix on Bhutan underlie the macroeconomic impact of Tala, rapid private sector credit growth, and macroeconomic risks. In Bhutan, as the bulk of Tala-related flows go through the government accounts, this requires an appropriate fiscal stance and...

Mercury has been one of the most persistent cases in contemporary history of international market regulations and this in spite of its having been affected by important technological changes and the regular discovery of new deposits. This paper offers an approach to the least known period,...

In the last couple of decades, production processes have been characterized by their fragmentation, which crosses the borders of countries more and more. This coincides with the common viewpoint that products and services are now made in global value chains and that ‘trade in value added’...

This article describes and compares the three most popular indices that are used to measure export prices – Wholesale Price Indices, unit value indices, and export price indices. It includes a brief discussion of the methodology used in constructing the different types of price indices and the...