international exchange

exchange, respectively, any payment made by one country to another and the market in which national currencies are bought and sold by those who require them for such payments. Countries may make payments in settlement of a trade debt, for capital investment, or for other…

…operation involving the purchase of foreign exchange, gold, financial securities, or commodities in one market and their almost simultaneous sale in another market, in order to profit from price differentials existing between the markets. Opportunities for arbitrage may keep recurring because of the working of market forces. Arbitrage generally tends…

…thus far discussed: shortage of foreign exchange (see international payment and exchange). Under the international monetary system established after World War II and in effect until the 1970s, most governments tried to maintain fixed exchange rates between their own currencies and those of other countries. Even if not absolutely fixed,…

Black-market activity in foreign exchange is prevalent in countries in which convertible foreign exchange is scarce and strict control of foreign exchange exists. The black market often sets a price for foreign exchange that is several times the official one. Examples of goods traded in the black market…

Central banks buy and sell foreign exchange to stabilize the international value of their own currency. The central banks of major industrial nations engage in so-called “currency swaps,” in which they lend one another their own currencies in order to facilitate their activities in stabilizing their exchange rates. Prior to…

In the 1950s most developing countries were primary commodity exporters, relying on crops and minerals for the bulk of their foreign-exchange earnings through exports, and importing a large number of manufactured goods. The experience of colonialism, and the distrust of the international economy…

…savings; of manpower; and of foreign exchange. The notion of balance is a valuable one in planning, since no plan can be successful if it outruns the available resources. The method has its difficulties, however, because of the numerous interactions among different sectors of the economy, with the consequence that…

…intermediaries, usually banks or specialized foreign exchange brokers and dealers. Trading in currencies is extensive both for immediate use (“spot”) and for future (“forward”) delivery. Quotations vary according to changes in supply and demand, over the range between the upper and lower buying and selling prices set by official parity.…