The Helpman-Razin model of international trade under uncertainty is extended to allow for country-specific productivi ty shocks. It is shown that, for the multiple-sector multiple-factor case, there exists a set of interesting sufficient conditions under w hich it is possible to predict the pattern of international trade in securities, goods, and factor content on the basis of cross-country d ifferences in factor endowments. It is shown that, under these circum stances, some well-known empirical tests have to be modified.

Recent attempts to resolve the international debt crisis have lead some countries to engage in debt-equity swaps. The paper explores conditions under which such transactions are beneficial to the debtor as well as the creditors. It identifies a market failure that may prevent the emergence of actually beneficial swaps and analyzes the effects of swaps on the investment level in the debtor country. The latter helps to evaluate the contribution of this policy to future difficulties with debt service payments.