Relationship between real effective exchange rate and trade balance, considering savings rate: Smooth Transition Regression (STR) Approach

Among the important policy objectives and economic programs, the implementation of policies for reducing the trade deficit. Empirical studies provided conflicting results regarding the effect of devaluations on the trade balance reached. This study aimed to investigate the nonlinear relationship between the real effective exchange rate and trade balance, considering the savings rate using a smooth transition regression approach during period 1960-2014. The results of smooth transition regression (STR) model estimation, confirmed that the savings rate had non-linear effect on the trade balance. Our estimation results showed that effectiveness of savings rate, the real effective exchange rate and terms of trade on trade balance depended to the regimes which Iranian economy was in there. Also we fund that generally in first regime savings rate and the effective real exchange rate had statically meaningful and positive effect on the trade balance and the terms of trade had a statically meaningful and negative effect on the trade balance. While crossing the threshold and entering into the second regime savings rate and terms of trade coefficients had statically meaningful and positive effect, but the real effective exchange rate had a statically meaningful and negative impact on the trade balance.