Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines: Currency Crisis

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 115-115

In response to recent developments, Thailand's exchange rate system has been changed, effective July 2, 1997, to a managed float, with the value of the baht being determined by market forces in line with economic fundamentals. To support the new exchange rate policy, the Bank of Thailand has raised the Bank Rate from 10.5 percent to 12.5 percent. The Thai authorities are also considering supplementary measures to alleviate potential negative effects on debt servicing and prices that may result from adjustments in the value of the baht.

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (02) ◽  
pp. 1640025
Author(s):  
PAUL S. L. YIP

Further to the author’s recommended transitory and medium-term exchange rate system reforms that was implemented in China since July 2005, this paper explains that: (1) a long-term reform towards a floating exchange rate system with free capital mobility will cause huge damages to the Chinese economy. It then proposes a long-term exchange rate system that would probably benefit China the most; and (2) there is a serious mistake in China’s latest exchange rate policy: The Chinese central bank has mistakenly allowed the renminbi exchange rate to rise with the strong rebound of the US dollar. This will cause not only a substantial drag in China’s export and GDP growth, but will also eventually make China’s financial and economic system vulnerable to a highly disruptive correction in the renminbi exchange rate.


2004 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedrich L. Sell

AbstractIn this paper, we first formulate a number of working hypotheses about the likely contributions of exchange rate policy to economic development on the background of the famous “trilemma” which exchange rate policy has to face. Then, we broadly review experiences made by developing countries with different exchange rate regimes in the past 30 years. We find that in addition to the classical trilemma put forward by Bob Mundell (1968) vis-à-vis the exchange rate system, emerging economies have to solve at least one more trilemma located in their domestic financial markets. We show that the alternatives “flexible” or “fixed” exchange rates can only be chosen based on sound economic reasoning with regard to the stance and control of domestic financial markets. From this perspective, one can expect contributions to economic development and even give some advice to China and its current exchange rate policy.


Equilibrium ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Dorota Żuchowska

In the years 2004-2014 the Lithuania’s exchange rate policy was based on a rigid currency board system. After a period of uncontested success in the fight against inflation in the first decade of the transition and economic growth, entering the ERM II in 2004 and efforts to adopt the euro were treated as an optimal exit strategy from the currency board system. However, the consequences of this exchange rate system in the following years (until 2014) prevented Lithuania from meeting the economic convergence criteria. The starting point for the research is based on the theoretical analysis of literature studying benefits and risks associated with the use of the currency board system by the monetary authorities. The empirical analysis refers to the case of Lithuania and covers the years 2004-2014. The purpose of this analysis is to look at the effects of the use of the currency board system from the perspective of the convergence criteria of monetary nature and the extent of their implementation in the absence of opportunities for autonomous monetary policy.


1982 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce E. Moon

Two central tenets of dependency theory are supported by the analysis of the causes and consequences of the exchange rate policies of less developed countries (LDCs). First, one critical component—high partner trade concentrations—is recreated by the choice of exchange arrangements. Specifically, nations that have maintained a dollar peg have significantly increased their concentration of trade with the United States since 1973. This occurs because of the exchange rate risk present in any transaction that involves a dollar-pegged currency and any other major currency against which it floats. Second, such an effect produces incentives for internal and external actors with an interest in the partner composition of future trade to influence the exchange rate policy of LDCs. Various components of the dependence situation that strengthen the role of such actors—partner trade concentrations, treaty arrangements, foreign aid, etc.—are significantly correlated with actual exchange rate practice. Thus, exchange rate policy is a linch-pin mechanism, in that it both manifests distortions produced by dependency and further acts to recreate a vital aspect of the situation that gave rise to the distortions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANTHONY J. MAKIN

This paper presents a simple framework for analyzing the macroeconomic effects of internal and external shocks under polar exchange rate regimes. It highlights the significance of fluctuations in competitiveness and real income for exchange rate policy, revealing that positive (negative) real shocks increase (decrease) national income and strengthen (weaken) the balance of payments and exchange rate. It also shows that, ceteris paribus, pegged exchange rates facilitate real income growth for emerging economies while lowering its variability when exports and productivity are improving and monetary shocks predominate. Alternatively, a floating exchange rate system may be most appropriate for less open advanced economies with relatively stable monetary sectors that frequently experience negative real shocks.


Author(s):  
José Antonio Ocampo

This chapter looks at historical and current frameworks to manage macroeconomic linkages among economies. The basic objective of cooperation in this area is to guarantee the consistency of the macroeconomic policies of major economies, to avoid both unsustainable global booms and crises. This requires an adequate supply of liquidity at the international level, the topic analysed in Chapter 2, as well sustainable payments balances and an adequate exchange rate system, two areas of cooperation analysed here. The chapter looks first at the evolving nature of global imbalances. It then analyses the mechanisms that have been put in place at different times to manage macroeconomic linkages among major economies, before finally considering the current exchange rate ‘non-system’. The chapter claims that exchange rate policy is perhaps the most critical area for which macroeconomic policy cooperation should be strengthened, particularly by moving to a system of reference rates among major currencies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (190) ◽  
pp. 103-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjana Gligoric

This paper analyzes a hot topic: the influence of an undervalued currency on macroeconomic variables - primarily on the economic growth and trade balance of a country, but also on employment, foreign exchange reserves, competition, and living standards. It also reviews and explains the consequences of yuan undervaluation, points out the need for its appreciation, and states the negative effects that stem from this measure. Special attention is given to the problematic bilateral relations between China and the USA and the reasons why Americans are worried about the exchange rate policy that China implements. Although yuan appreciation would decrease the American foreign trade deficit, it also raises the question of further financing of the American deficit. There are also other problems that the possible appreciation would cause for the American economy, due to the effect of J-curve, passthrough, larger costs of input imported from China, etc. Therefore, Chinese foreign exchange policy is an important subject, but it is not the solution to the problems of the global economy - which have deeper roots than that. However, there is no excuse for China implementing unfair exchange rate policies, or replacing such policies with controversial protectionist policies (as some authors have suggested).


2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (03) ◽  
pp. 295-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN WILLIAMSON

The argument that any exchange rate regimes other than firmly fixed and freely floating rates were infeasible — the so-called bipolarity thesis — acquired great popularity in the wake of the Asian crisis of a decade ago, but it has almost vanished today. One reason is surely the unkind empirical evidence, which shows that intermediate regimes — measured as those where both reserve and exchange rate changes lie in an intermediate range — are not in fact tending to disappear (Levy Yeyati and Sturzenegger, 2002). Another reason is the recognition that exchange rate policy should have other objectives besides avoiding crises, and that in the world we live in today it is reasonable to give these other objectives a significant priority. And perhaps a third factor is growing recognition that it is possible to design or operate intermediate regimes in ways that avoid exposing them to the dangers that were focused on by the disciples of bipolarity. This article starts by distinguishing the options that countries face in choosing an exchange rate regime. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of each of them, finally suggesting that for most countries the real choice lies between freely floating rates, floating rates disciplined by a reference rate system, and an ill-defined managed floating with the management undefined. Three issues may influence the choice between those alternatives: transparency; perceived consistency with that pillar of current macroeconomic thinking, inflation targeting; and the theory of what determines exchange rates. In the latter context, it is argued that the current conventional wisdom of the economics profession is wrong, and that a more convincing diagnosis of the process of exchange rate determination lends support to the proposal for a reference rate system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Noura Abu Asab

This study attempts to measure the real exchange rate misalignment in Jordan from 1980 to 2014. We examine the role of adopting the pegged exchange rate system to the US in 1995 in limiting/increasing misalignment. Applying the Johansen approach, a cointegrating relationship is found between the real exchange rate and a number of economic fundamentals that influence the long-run real exchange rate. Over a long examined period of exchange rate fixity, the real exchange rate is kept depreciated except after 2006-2008 over which the appreciation of the real exchange rate is noted. However, after 2011 misalignment receded as the real exchange rate matched the equilibrium real exchange rate. An attempt is also made to model the nexus between the growth of per capita income and misalignment. The exchange rate misalignment is found to significantly decrease the economic growth. 


2004 ◽  
pp. 112-122
Author(s):  
O. Osipova

After the financial crisis at the end of the 1990 s many countries rejected fixed exchange rate policy. However actually they failed to proceed to announced "independent float" exchange rate arrangement. This might be due to the "fear of floating" or an irreversible result of inflation targeting central bank policy. In the article advantages and drawbacks of fixed and floating exchange rate arrangements are systematized. Features of new returning to exchange rates stabilization and possible risks of such policy for Russia are considered. Special attention is paid to the issue of choice of a "target" currency composite which can minimize external inflation pass-through.


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