The real exchange rate of the dollar for a panel of OECD countries: Balassa-Samuelson or distribution sector effect?

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of productivity in the behaviour of the dollar real exchange rate against a group of OECD countries' currencies. To do this, a general specification is tested, paying special attention to the breakdown of the productivity variable into tradables, non-tradables and distribution sector productivity. The applied methodology relies on the Pool Mean Group estimation methodology proposed by Pesaran et al (1999) to obtain error correction models in panels without imposing equal long and shortrun parameters for the panel. The results point to the relevance of the differences in the distribution sector productivity to explain the real exchange rate, especially in the European Union countries. These results are in accordance with New Open Macroeconomics models predictions concerning the role of both distribution sector productivity and fiscal expenditure on the real exchange rate.