Extreme risk dependence and time-varying spillover between crude oil, commodity market and inflation in China

Abstract

The fluctuation of general commodity prices, particularly crude oil prices, exerts a substantial influence on the economic development of all countries. Based on the mean and quantile spillover index of time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR), we measure the spillover effects among crude oil, commodity market, and inflation in China under normal and extreme conditions from April 2018 to January 2023. The results show the interdependence among crude oil, commodity markets, and inflation; however, the degree of correlation varies at different quantiles. Notably, the spillover index is significantly higher at the extreme quantile, indicating that extreme risks can easily affect the spillover effect among crude oil, commodity markets, and inflation. Meanwhile, the tail risk spillover effect among crude oil, commodity markets, and inflation exhibits asymmetry, indicating that the spillover effect is greater during downward market conditions than upward ones. Furthermore, oil prices serve as a significant provider of systemic risk, both in normal market conditions and during times of extreme risk. In most cases, oil prices transfer more risks to inflation and commodity markets, commodity markets transfer more risks to inflation, and the paired spillover effects between commodity markets fluctuate over time. Finally, our results hold significant implications for investors, market regulators, and policymakers.