Super cycle of commodity prices and the Brazilian economy: an analysis of the external transmission mechanisms between 2002 and 2014

Abstract

This study analyzes the influence of the recent cycle of high commodity prices on foreign capital inflows into Brazil (exports, portfolio flows and FDI). To achieve this goal, two different econometric methodologies were used: The Markov-Switching Model and The Vector Error Correction Model (VAR/VEC). Our main results are: (i) the price cycle occurred between 2002 and 2014; (ii) Markovian regimes for exports, portfolio flows and FDI converge to the commodity prices' regime; and (iii) VAR/VEC models show that the cycle of high commodity prices significantly influenced the foreign capital inflows into Brazil, with the most significant effects occurring through trade and short-term capital inflows.

Keywords:
Commodity prices; Exports; Capital flows; Brazil; Markov-Switching and VAR/VEC.