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Understanding Exchange Rates

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Understanding Exchange Rates

Section I - Introduction

Section II - Definitions and Examples

Section III - Systems and History

Section IV - Government Interventions and their Effects

Section V - Effects of the Exchange Rate on International Trade Relationships

Section VI - Other Related International Trade Considerations

Section VII - Conclusion

Section I - Introduction

Understanding the relationships among world currencies is vital to successful operations in a global economy. There is money to be made by managers who can effectively manage exchange rates in the course of their business dealings. There is money to be lost by managers who fail to recognize the significance of these rate relationships.

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If the 3-month expected rate is accurate, I can return to the exchange in three months with only 1.2 Canadian dollars and get my 1 U.S. dollar back. That leaves me with 10 Canadian cents profit. It may not seem worthwhile to wait three months to gain 10 cents profit. Consider however, if I had 1 million U.S. dollars to invest. I could return in three months, make my trade and gain 100,000 Canadian dollars.

These rates also offer corporations opportunities for profit as they can order items expecting to pay when the exchange rate has changed in their favor. Let's consider an American company operating in France. The company's accounting statements are kept in U.S. dollars. The company orders equipment from a French supplier that is expected to cost 85,000 French francs. If the company pays for the equipment now, the books will indicate a cost of 100,000 U.S. dollars. If the company waits for the equipment to arrive and pays for the equipment in three months, the cost will be over 106,000 U.S. dollars. This is known as hedging - using the expected exchange rate to increase profits or reduce losses by timing monetary exchanges.

Section II - Systems and History

This sounds a little like guesswork and gambling, but there is more to it than what appears on the surface. The exchange rates are set by government agencies in each country. In the United States, most of us have become accustomed to waiting for word from Alan Greenspan about changes in

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