Dynamics of the current account and interest differentials

In contrast to earlier work, we study the relation between the current account and the interest rate differential. To do so, we document the relation for international data. We then interpret this relation from a two-country, dynamic, general equilibrium model, where a financial intermediary faces operating costs that are increasing and convex in the volume of internationally intermediated funds. We finally confront the relation predicted by the model to the relation observed in the data. We find that the model correctly predicts that the current account is negatively correlated with current and future interest differentials, but positively correlated with past interest differentials; that the current account is countercyclical; and that the interest differential is procyclical.