This theoretical paper shows that developing countries possess an inherent shock-absorbing mechanism that stems from their peculiar institutional characteristics and can lessen the gravity of detrimental welfare consequence of international terms-of-trade disturbances in terms of a static two-sector, full-employment general equilibrium model with endogenous labour market distortion. The supply of foreign capital in the economy is a positive function of the return to capital. Subsequently, it has been verbally explained why the main result of the full-employment model would remain valid even in a two-sector specific-factor Harris-Todaro type model with urban unemployment. The analysis leads to a couple of important policies that should be adhered to preserve this in-built system. Finally, it offers three important statistically testable hypotheses which would pave the way for future empirical research in this area. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.