The transmission of monetary policy through bank credit in Mexico

This paper analyzes empirically the existence of the credit channel of monetary policy in Mexico, that is, the relationship between changes in the target interest rate and variations in credit granted by commercial banks. The study combines aggregate information with data from the individual balance sheets of commercial banks and conducts a panel data regression analysis. The analysis is performed for total credit and its components (business, consumer, and mortgage). Additionally, by using banks' accounting information, it explores whether the transmission mechanism occurs on the supply side. It is found that there is a negative and economically significant relationship between interest rate and credit, and such a relationship is established for different types of credit. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the transmission mechanism operates on the supply side, as banks with more robust balance sheets exhibit greater resilience to changes in the interest rate.