International dynamic risk sharing

In this paper we examine the implications of international risk sharing among a set of countries in the presence of market frictions which complicate the instantaneous adjustment to the first-order conditions. We suggest approximating the consumption streams of countries belonging to the risk sharing coalition in terms of a disequilibrium dynamic model embodying forward-looking adjustment. Econometric methods for estimating and testing the model are discussed. Empirical analysis of a set of core European countries suggests that once preference parameters are allowed to vary across countries, we are able to identify a group of nations that share risks against idiosyncratic permanent income shocks. The equilibrium position, however, is reached after a long adjustment period.