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Optimal Debt Relief Under Threat of Trade Punishments
Author(s) -
Egli Dominik
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
review of international economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.513
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1467-9396
pISSN - 0965-7576
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9396.00056
Subject(s) - debtor , creditor , economics , debt , trade finance , default , enforcement , external debt , international economics , monetary economics , macroeconomics , finance , public finance , law , political science
The theory of optimal debt relief hinges critically on the assumption that the output of a defaulting debtor country can be partially confiscated by the creditors. This assumption is at odds with the crucial feature of international credit relationships. The present paper focuses on an alternative enforcement method, namely the impediment of international trade. It is shown that a similar result can be derived. Additionally, it can be rational to grant further credit to countries with very little initial endowment, even though it is clear to the creditors that they will grant debt relief afterwards.