de jure Exchange Rate Regimes The de jure exchange rate regimes can be defined as what a countries government ‘claims’ to do and in regard with the bipolar view, supports it and shows that countries are generally moving towards either corner of the bipolar view of fixed exchange rate or floating exchange rate. The de jure exchange rate regimes are important as a way of what the central bank communicates to the public as this is likely to have bearing on the outcome. By having a de jure fixed exchange rate and a de facto floating exchange rate, the breach of commitment will likely have negative consequences. On the other hand, having a de jure floating exchange rate and a de facto fixed exchange rate does not breach its commitments. de facto Exchange Rate Regimes The de facto exchange rate regime can be defined as what a countries government actually Continue reading
Exchange Rate System
Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts
Forward exchange is a device to protect traders against risk arising out of fluctuations in exchange rates. A trader, who has to make or receive payment in foreign currency at the end of a given period, may find at the time of payment or receipt that the foreign currency has appreciated or depreciated. If the currency moves down or gets depreciated the trader will be at a loss as he will get lesser units of home currency for a given amount of foreign currency, which he was holding. Similarly, an importer, who was contracted to make payment of a given amount in dollar at the end of a given period, may find that at the time of payment, the rupee dollar rate is higher. He would then have to pay more in rupees than what it would have been at the time when the contract was made. To protect traders Continue reading
Various Forms of Exchange Control
Foreign exchange controls are various forms of controls imposed by a government on the purchase/sale of foreign currencies by residents or on the purchase/sale of local currency by non-residents. The various forms that exchange control has taken are briefly discussed below: 1. Exchange Pegging This device is usually adopted during war in order to minimize exchange fluctuations. The internal value of a currency may depreciate due to inflation but the government may seek to keep its external value at a higher level than warranted by the purchasing power parity in order to facilitate international transactions. England during First World War and again in the Second World War adopted the method. Between 1916 and 1919, the Sterling was kept artificially pegged at 4.765 dollars — a value which was higher than the real value of the Sterling. This was done by raising loans in America and through these funds, purchasing Continue reading
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Theory of Exchange Rate
Purchasing Power Parity Theory (PPP) holds that the exchange rate between two currencies is determined by the relative purchasing power as reflected in the price levels expressed in domestic currencies in the two countries concerned. Changes in the exchange rate are explained by relative changes in the purchasing power of the currencies caused by inflation in the respective countries. The concept of Purchasing power parity theory (PPP) is traced to David Ricardo, but the credit for stating the law in an orderly manner is given to the Swedish economist Gustav Cassel who proposed it in 1918 as a basis for resumption for normal trade relations at the end of First World War. The Purchasing Power Parity Theory is stated in two versions : The stronger absolute version of Purchasing Power Parity, and The diluted relative version of Purchasing Power Parity. Absolute Version of Purchasing Power Parity The absolute version of Continue reading
Possible Courses of Exchange Control
Exchange control is one of the important means of achieving certain national objectives like an improvement in the balance of payments position, restriction of inessential imports and conspicuous consumption, facilitation of import of priority items, control of outflow of capital and maintenance of the external value of the currency. Under the exchange control, the whole foreign exchange resources of the nation, including those currently occurring to it, are usually brought directly under the control of the exchange control authority (the Central Bank, treasury or a specially constituted agency). Dealings and transactions in foreign exchange are regulated by the exchange control authority. Exporters have to surrender the foreign exchange earnings in exchange for home currency and the permission of the exchange control authority have to be obtained for making payments in foreign exchange. It is generally necessary to implement the overall regulations with a host of detailed provisions designed to eliminate Continue reading
European Monetary System
After the break down of the Bretton Woods System in 1973, several European countries attempted various mechanisms to fix their exchange rates to each other. While allowing their currencies to float against the dollar, these European countries tried progressively to narrow the extent to which they let their currencies fluctuate against each other. Six members of the European Economic Community (EEC), including France and Germany, jointly floated their currencies against the dollar. The currencies of the participating countries were allowed to fluctuate in a narrow band with respect to each other (1.125% on either side of the parity exchange rate), and the permissible joint float against other currencies was also limited (to 2.5% on either side of the parity). This fixed exchange rate system that arose concurrently with the fall of the Bretton Woods System was called the “snake” as this gave the currency movement the look of a “snake”. Continue reading