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Discussion Paper
Understanding Trade Fragmentation
A large empirical literature, including Gopinath et al. (2025), finds that geopolitical distance has become an increasingly important determinant of bilateral trade flows. This work has fueled debate about the consequences of fragmentation and the extent to which global value chains are being reshaped.
Working Paper
Partner Similarity and The Sectoral Evolution of China's Trade
We study how the sectoral composition of exports and imports shapes bilateral trade flows. Building on earlier similarity indices, we introduce the Partner Similarity Index (PSI), which measures sectoral alignment between a country’s export structure and its partner’s import demand. Embedded in a gravity framework, PSI is a strong predictor of bilateral trade flows after accounting for standard gravity determinants, trade policy variables, and high-dimensional fixed effects. Applied to China and advanced economies, the index reveals growing asymmetries: China’s export basket is ...
Discussion Paper
Real GDP and Productivity Measurement: What Do Macro Data Capture?
Since the publication of their 2021 "Blue Book", the UK's Office for National Statistics started to measure real GDP in the national accounts using double deflation. This methodological update follows the premise that "double deflation is internationally accepted as the best approach to producing volume estimates of industry Gross Value Added".
Discussion Paper
Fiscal policy and excess inflation during Covid-19: a cross-country view
The recent surge in inflation in many countries around the world and the fiscal stimulus provided in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed interest in analyzing the potential role of large fiscal spending as a driver of price increases. In this note, we examine how fiscal support impacted the balance between supply and demand across countries during the COVID-19 crisis.
Discussion Paper
Effects of Supply Chain Bottlenecks on Prices using Textual Analysis
After collapsing in the second half of 2020, global demand for goods, as reflected in global trade, has been exceptionally strong and now well exceeds pre-pandemic levels. The sharp bounceback reflects several factors, including an unprecedented amount of global stimulus and the drawdown of excess savings (especially for high-income households).
Working Paper
What is Measured in National Accounts?
Most statistical agencies construct sectoral real GDP using double deflation and base period prices. When the base period price used for intermediate inputs is not equal to their marginal revenue product, such as when firms apply a markup, real GDP fluctuations become mechanically linked to variations in intermediate inputs. This is because these inputs generate profits that are incorporated into real value added. Taking this channel into account, we demonstrate that real GDP reported in national accounts substantially diverges from a theory-consistent "physical" value added. This, in turn, ...