Cointegration and price linkages in the MERCOSUR beef cattle markets.

ABSTRACT. This research provides empirical evidence of the degree of integration of Mercosur region beef cattle markets with the international market. Prices for six spatially distinct cattle markets located in the four countries were analyzed using a fractional cointegration approach. The analysis included the computation of fractional integration parameters and the error term of the cointegration equations. The null hypothesis of ?separate markets? could not be rejected in any of the cases.