Chinese Yuan
ECB Comment Weighs on Euro and Stocks
October 13, 2011
Investor attention was drawn to the ECB Bulletin where it is warned that forced euro bondholder write-offs could hurt the euro’s reputation. The euro fell as much as 1.7% against the yen and 0.9% relative to the dollar. Stocks in Europe lost 1.4% in Germany, 1.1% in France, and 0.8% in Great Britain. Compared to […] More
Yuan Rules and the 2010 U.S. Election
November 18, 2009
A shift away from the yuan’s fixed peg at 6.83 per dollar had been a top goal of Team Obama’s Asian trip and is now one the week’s largest embarrassments. Chinese officials rebuffed the request more forcefully than necessary and turned the object of complaint around to Washington’s neglectful dollar policy. This public posturing backs […] More
Concern #2: China's Predatory Currency Policy
November 10, 2009
Mercantilism is alive and well in China, now the world’s third largest economy although well down the leader board in per capita terms. Chinese monthly economic figures for exports, industrial production, and investment will be reported tomorrow. A massive three-dimensional policy stimulus from low interest rates, deficit fiscal spending and intervention to maintain a highly […] More
Louder Complaints About an Undervalued Chinese Yuan and Some History
October 26, 2009
The U.S. Treasury semi-annual report on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies, released earlier this month, bluntly called the Chinese yuan “still undervalued” and said it had depreciated 7% in trade-weighted terms since February despite brisker Chinese productivity and GDP growth, a $186 billion increase in Chinese reserves in the first half of 2009, and […] More
U.S. Trade and China
June 10, 2009
The $29.16 billion deficit in April generated trade in goods and services was close to expectations and compares with a first-quarter average gap of $30.4 billion but a mean deficit of $61.2 billion in the first four months of 2008. The U.S. merchandise trade deficit on a census basis amounted to $144.0 billion in January-April, […] More
German and Japanese Orders
March 11, 2009
In January, Japanese machinery orders plunged 18.5%, while German industrial orders fell 8.0%. Foreign demand was particularly weak in each instance. Japanese foreign machinery orders declined 49% to 43.3% below the fourth-quarter average level and 71.2% less than in January 2008. Those results are much worse than generally anticipated. Likewise, foreign orders for German goods […] More
Updated Chronology of Post-G7 Meetings
February 14, 2009
A statement by G-7 central bankers and finance ministers after meeting on Friday and Saturday called the global downturn and financial crisis “ongoing and severe, reviewed the multi-dimensional policy attack on the problem done thus far, promised continuing monetary and fiscal measures, laid out four principles to guide fiscal stimulus, declared a joint commitment to […] More
The U.S. and the Yuan
January 29, 2009
It’s bad diplomacy and bad currency management for officials to urge other governments to appreciate their currency because the other money’s appreciation is your currency’s depreciation. Markets examine the comments of incoming governments extremely closely, and speaking only about a bilateral currency pair does not dilute the impression of a soft commitment to currency stability. […] More
Global Great Recession
January 22, 2009
The array of data released today showcases the global component of the economic downturn. Japanese exports to the EU, U.S., and Asia fell by 41.8%, 26.6% and 36.4% in the year to December. Japan’s 2008 trade surplus of Y 2.16 trillion was 78% smaller than the average annual surplus during the previous four years. On-year […] More
Trade Flows Amplifying Global Recession
January 13, 2009
Imploding two-way commerce is playing a central role in the frighteningly rapid deterioration of the global economy. Several countries released international trade figures today, reinforcing the abrupt drop in trade flows depicted in data released previously. U.S. imports plunged 12.0% between October and November, more than twice as fast as the 5.8% drop in exports. […] More
