Exchange Rate Uncertainty and Export Performance: Supply and Demand Effects.

Unpredictable fluctuations in the exchange rate can increase the uncertainty that suppliers face in overseas markets if contracts are written in foreign currency. There is an extensive literature on how the volatility of exchange rates can affect trade patterns. In this paper, the author does two things. First he examines how exchange rate uncertainty can affect both the supply of and demand for exports. He then uses a generalized ARCH process to represent the volatility of the exchange rate. Our results suggest that exchange rate volatility does have a role to play in explaining the supply of exports but does not have a significant effect on the demand for exports. However, the effect, though significant statistically, is small. Copyright 1995 by Scottish Economic Society.