Liquidity Shocks and Firm Exports: Evidence from Cash Shortages during India's Demonetization
This paper examines how liquidity shocks caused by currency shortages impact exports. We explore this in the context of India’s 2016 currency demonetization, a sudden and unexpected policy announcement by the government that large-denomination currency notes—comprising 86% of the country’s currency in circulation—would cease to be legal tender within hours. Our analysis uses novel data, including high-frequency customs transaction records matched with exporting firms and their balance sheets, as well as with inter-district domestic trade. We develop direct measures of exporting firms’ exposure to cash shortages and indirect measures that act through domestic supply chain networks. While the cash shortages do not directly affect exporting firms, we find a significant and immediate decline in real exports for firms whose domestic customers experience liquidity shocks. These findings underscore the critical role of domestic supply chains in transmitting liquidity shocks to exports.
More from NBER
In addition to working papers, the NBER disseminates affiliates’ latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter, the NBER Digest, the Bulletin on Retirement and Disability, the Bulletin on Health, and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship — as well as online conference reports, video lectures, and interviews.
