Exchange Rate Pass-Through into Import Prices: Evidence from Türkiye during 2010-2020 Period

Abstract

This article analyses pass through of exchange rates into the import prices for an emerging economy, Türkiye, which faced severe fluctuations in the nominal exchange rate in the recent years, and experienced significant increases in domestic prices. The Turkish economy continues to struggle due to high inflationary pressures and a steep Turkish Lira (TL) devaluation particularly after 2017. This study aimed at examining the relationship between exchange rate and import prices using quarterly data for the period of 2010q1-2019q1, while the empirical methodology is framed in the multivariate cointegration analysis, along with the application of the Johansen cointegration test and the development of an autoregressive error correction vector for the determination of the pass-through in the long term. Our findings show that 85.6% of the fluctuations of the nominal exchange rate are transmitted to the import prices in the mentioned period, slower than the findings of the study by Akgunduz and his colleagues as the difference of import prices from its long-run relationship implied by the real exchange rate is likely dominated by energy prices in a strong manner. Second significant finding derives from the parameter that measures the speed of the pass-through, whose estimate has been found as -0.0125, inferring that the adjustment in short-term imbalances between import prices and the nominal exchange rate through changes in import prices is rather slow.