explores four explanations and evaluates their empirical contributions: (i) improved cost competitiveness, (ii) ties to fast … competitiveness had a comparatively smaller impact. There is no conclusive evidence of increased demand for capital goods. …

This Selected Issues paper examines three areas of key policy importance for Greece in the coming years. The paper … documents the loss of international competitiveness in recent years, as well as the accompanying widening of the current account …

This paper examines the structural competitiveness of oil-rich economies in sub-Saharan Africa relative to other major … across these economies. The analysis reveals that oil-rich Africa lags behind other oil-exporters in terms of diversification … determinant of the extent to which oil abundance affects the competitiveness of the non-oil sector; thereby explaining the …

Assessing a country's competitiveness routinely starts with an analysis of the real exchange rate. However, in low … competitiveness in low-income countries, the paper discusses alternative competitive measures and then proposes a template of … indicators to allow for a systematic assessment of competitiveness in low-income countries. The template is then used to rank …

alter the competitiveness of various exporting countries. Bangladesh relies heavily on textile and clothing exports and is … potentially very vulnerable to this change in competitiveness. Based on assessments of quota restrictiveness and export similarity …

Italy's medium-term economic performance has raised "standard" competitiveness concerns as unit labor costs surged, and … real export growth fell. But the recent economic upturn, low current account deficit, and robust nominal exports argue for … partly reflect nonprice economic restructuring, have supported Italy's real exports after 2005 (as in Germany but less so in …

internal drains. Its exports declined by 21 percent from peak to trough. Bank deposits declined by more than 20 percent in late …

This Selected Issues paper analyzes the main factors underlying the evolution of competitiveness, export performance … overall evolution of competitiveness compared with Poland’s trading partners and competitors since 1995 is analyzed using … standard measures of the real effective exchange rate (REER). This paper also examines the role of foreign investors in …

This Selected Issues paper applies a range of methods to assess Italy’s competitiveness gap versus other euro area … members. All indicators point to a clear erosion of competitiveness in recent years, with related market share losses …. Nonetheless, the estimated competitiveness gap, while appreciable, still remains quantitatively contained. The results suggest …