A view receiving increased support is that the height of trade costs in prime export sectors has a strong effect on current account balances: countries specializing in sectors that face relatively high trade costs, such as services, tend to run current account deficits, and similarly, countries...

Financial stability is an important policy objective, since crises are associated with large economic, social and political costs. Promoting stability requires preventing "sudden stops" in capital flows, which are events in which foreign financing abruptly disappears. This paper contributes to...