This paper shows that bank linkages have a positive effect on international trade. A global banking network (GBN) is constructed at the bank level, using individual syndicated loan data from Loan Analytics for 1990-2007. Network distance between bank pairs is computed and aggregated to country...

Los impuestos a la nómina junto con los salarios mínimos han producido un notable encarecimiento de los costos laborales en América Latina desde los noventa. Puesto que, simultáneamente, las tasas de tributación de las empresas se han reducido, esta nota analiza si, como resultado, hay un...

Este documento analiza la importancia de la integración financiera en Centro América, enfatizando los efectos de la actual crisis internacional sobre los sistemas financieros de la subregión. Después de presentar evidencia sobre la integración financiera en Centro América y la compara con...

Este trabajo examina la emigración, las remesas y la participación de la fuerza laboral en México durante la década de los noventa. Se utilizan dos tipos de familias para el análisis: (a) hogares rurales de México durante 2000, que varían de acuerdo a sí han enviado inmigrantes a los...

This paper presents an analytical overview of recent contributions to the literature on the policy implications of capital flows in emerging and developing countries, focusing specifically on capital inflows as well as on the links between inflows and subsequent capital-flow reversals. The...

Europe faces challenges reminiscent of Latin American financial crises. The failure of recent liquidity support to normalize the situation in Europe suggests the need to refocus the policy debate on fundamentals: structural reform for growth and, where needed, restructuring to resolve banking...

This paper explores the impact of international financial integration on credit markets in Latin America, using a cross-country dataset covering 17 countries between 1996 and 2008. It is found that financial integration amplifies the impact of international financial shocks on aggregate credit...

The objective of this report is to examine the extent to which countries in Latin America and the Caribbean participate in global value chains and what are the drivers of such participation. Production processes have been increasingly fragmented worldwide. For example, the production of the...

Investing in Water Quality: Measuring Benefits, Costs and Risks, explores the methods and analytical tools available for making better investment decisions when our knowledge of the costs and benefits of water quality improvement is imprecise and the future is uncertain. The study demonstrates...

China's size, rapid growth, external openness, and trade performance have led to varying perceptions among the countries of Latin America: Is China a potential new market, a potent new competitor, or both? This book assesses the near-term strategic implications of China's economic performance...