中国商业银行汇率风险管理的对策建议——美国、香港等地汇率风险管理经验的启示

2005年7月21日起，人民币开始实行有管理的浮动汇率制度。中国商业银行将面对什么样的汇率风险，如何进行汇率风险管理成为当前的一个重要问题。本文分析了中国商业银行面临的汇率风险、商业银行汇率风险管理现状，在借鉴外资银行实践经验的基础上，提出提高国内商业银行汇率风险管理水平的政策。     

A reinvestigation of the new RMB exchange rate regime

To examine the new renminbi exchange rate regime rigorously, we employ the STARTZ model to investigate renminbi nominal effective exchange rate behavior from mid-2006 to mid-2008. A managed float with a target central parity and without an explicit band best describes the daily exchange rate movement between renminbi and other currencies. We also find some peculiar attributes of the renminbi nominal effective exchange rate, including small conditional variance and stronger effects from government interventions in foreign exchange markets.     

The Importance of the Exchange Rate Regime in Limiting Misalignment

This paper explores how the choice of a country’s exchange rate regime may affect exchange rate misalignment for developing and developed countries. A measure of misalignment is obtained by using a panel cointegration vector estimator. This paper finds that for developing countries, an intermediate exchange rate regime (a regime falling somewhere between a pure float and a hard peg) is most effective in preventing exchange rate misalignment. Additionally, the choice of an exchange rate regime as a means to limit misalignment matters for developing countries, but does not seem to matter for developed countries.     

Measuring misalignments in the Korean exchange rate

This paper measures to what extent the real effective exchange rate of the Korean won is misaligned from its equilibrium value by estimating the equilibrium value using the behavioral equilibrium exchange rate (BEER) approach. The economic fundamentals such as the terms of trade, the relative price of non-traded to traded goods, net foreign assets and real interest rate differentials are employed to assess the equilibrium exchange rate. Considering the drastic changes in Korea's trade pattern, the trade partner weights, which are used to compute the real effective exchange rate, are not fixed, but variable. The estimation results using the quarterly data from 1982Q1 to 2009Q4 indicate that the actual exchange rate of the Korean won was substantially overvalued for the period from 2005Q1 to 2007Q4, and substantially undervalued for the period from 2008Q2 to 2009Q3. The actual exchange rate deviates from the BEER and from the long-run equilibrium (or sustainable value) of the BEER by 32% and by 24% respectively in 2008Q4.     

What Makes Currencies Volatile? An Empirical Investigation

Real effective exchange rate volatility is examined for 90 countries using monthly data from January 1990 to June 2006. Volatility decreases with openness to international trade and per capita GDP, and increases with inflation, particularly under a horizontal peg or band, and with terms-of-trade volatility. The choice of exchange rate regime matters. After controlling for these effects, an independent float adds at least 45% to the standard deviation of the real effective exchange rate, relative to a conventional peg, but most other regimes make little difference. The results are robust to alternative volatility measures and to sample selection bias.     

A worldwide system of reference rates

This paper assumes that the major industrial countries (and probably most other major countries) will continue to employ inflation targeting and allow their exchange rates to float, in the sense of accepting no obligation to hold the rate at any particular level. However, it points out that floating may be interpreted in three different ways: as free floating, as permitting ad hoc intervention (with no rules, except possibly that there should be no “manipulation” of the exchange rate), and as managed floating, with the rules and parameters publicly announced. The latter can in turn be accomplished either by prescribing rules relating to changes or levels in the exchange rate. The paper argues in favor of a system of managed floating in which the rules prohibit intervention that would push the exchange rate away from an internationally agreed reference rate. It discusses the problems that would arise in calculating and agreeing a set of reference rates. While these would undoubtedly be serious, the prize is a system that would allow—but not compel—countries to attempt to limit the misalignments of their currency, and that would give the IMF a basis for effective surveillance.     

惯性困局：固定汇率制度改革之难题

历史观察发现,尽管均衡汇率随着宏观经济变量不断变化,汇率制度的演变却是十分缓慢的。本文利用持续期模型研究布雷顿森林体系结束至2004年的跨国数据,发现固定汇率制度具有很强的惯性特征,一国退出固定汇率制度的概率随着时间的推移不断下降。进一步,这种效应对于发展中国家较之发达国家更强。因此,在经济转型过程中,即便灵活的浮动汇率制度具备更高的效率,长期存在的固定汇率安排也不会轻易被放弃。汇率制度改革同其他领域的制度改革一样,只是经济环境成熟还远远不够,更需要一些特别地契机。     

The exchange rate and the trade balance

Exchange rate flexibility is commonly justified as an efficient method for adjusting the trade balance to some desirable net international capital flow. In this orthodox view, fluctuations in a country's terms of trade or its saving-investment balance would continually upset its balance of payments equilibrium if the nominal exchange rate remained rigid.But this prevailing doctrine favoring exchange flexibility is only correct when economies are insular, ie. have limited trade and financial arbitrage with the outside world. With the spread of exchange controls and trade restrictions in the 1930s into the 1950s, the industrial countries became somewhat insulated from each other. A devaluation could then have the conventional effect of reducing a trade deficit because monetary and exchange rate policy were separable.Among the open industrial economies of the 1980s, however, financial arbitrage is uninhibited and trade is fairly free. Monetary policy, both current and prospective, now dominates what happens to the exchange rate. Because a devaluation today reflects an easier money policy in the present, or an expected easing in the future, it no longer has any predictable impact on the monetary value of the net trade balance. Exchange rate flexibility loses its usefulness in controlling net exports while becoming highly disruptive to the economy's macroeconomic stability.For example, the American dollar's downard float over the past three years should not be (have been) expected to improve the U.S. current account. However, allowing the dollar to depreciate below its purchasing power parity greatly increases the inflationary potential in the Americian economy.     

The role of oil price shocks on China's real exchange rate

This paper investigates to what extent the oil price shock and three other types of underlying macroeconomic shocks impact the trend movements of China's real exchange rate. By constructing a four-dimensional structural VAR model, the results suggest that real oil price shocks would lead to a minor appreciation of the long-term real exchange rate due to China's lesser dependence on imported oil than its trading partners included in the RMB basket peg regime and rigorous government energy regulations. The real shocks, as opposed to nominal shocks, are found to be dominant in the variations of the real exchange rate.     

EMU, Monetary Policy Interactions and Exchange Rate Stability

EMU leads to the elimination of monetary policy coordination failures within the euro area. Whether this translates into more transatlantic exchange rate stability depends on the origin of economic shocks. Martin's (1997) conclusion that EMU will lead to more stable exchange rates is shown to hold for both symmetric and asymmetric shocks in Europe, but not for shocks that originate outside Europe. The results remain valid when taking into account that the pre-EMU era was characterised by a Bundesbank-led ERM, rather than a free float. Finally, the results are checked for a future expansion of the euro area.     

The Indian exchange rate and Central Bank action: An EGARCH analysis

We analyze the impact of conventional monetary policy measures such as interest rates, intervention, and other quantitative measures, on exchange rate level and volatility, and compare these to the impact of Central Bank communication using dummy variables in the best of a family of GARCH models estimated with daily and monthly Indian data. Since India has a managed float, we also test if the measures affect the level of the exchange rate. We find variations in the Euro/Dollar rate strongly affect the Rupee/Dollar level and volatility. The interest rate differential has strong perverse effects, tending to increase variance and depreciate the Indian currency. News decreases volatility as it adds to scarce information. Domestic policy variables affect both level and volatility, and persist at the monthly frequency, but sometimes work at cross-purposes. Communication channels have potential but were not used effectively.     

汇率制度虚报与中国的选择

汇率制度虚报是指公开宣称浮动汇率制度,但实际实行固定汇率制度的国家行为。这一现象在新兴市场经济体(包括中国)中很普遍。本文探讨了汇率制度虚报本身对经济发展正向效应的机制。文章指出,对于中国,公开宣称浮动汇率制度是争取主动权以应付可能的投机资本冲击,而操作层面的固定汇率制度是出于稳定通胀预期考虑的最优选择。文章进一步指出,这种虚实结合的汇率制度选择不应成为美国攻击人民币的借口。     

汇率的不确定性、投资区位选择与公司内贸易

本文通过建立投资国一受资国一国际市场的三国框架,分三种投资区位的国际生产模式,就汇率冲击对垂直型FDI的区位选择和公司内贸易的影响进行分析。研究表明：（1）当区位成本优势不能抵消汇率不确定性导致的损失时,跨国企业将会调整投资区位决策,考虑撤资回母国;（2）当汇率相对波动幅度处于某一范围时,跨国企业具有较强烈的倾向将投资从原东道国转移到其引资竞争国;（3）汇率不确定性对出口价格的传导效应,具有不完全性特点。出口价格的汇率波动风险弹性取决于国际市场的外部竞争度以及子公司组装成本占国际市场该产品价格的比重;（4）汇率波动风险对公司内贸易余额的传导程度具有不确定性。随着汇率风险程度的逐步加大,其对公司内贸易余额的影响作用渐强,逐步从弱弹性转化为较强弹性的传导。     

The Role of the Exchange Rate as a Shock Absorber in a Small Open Economy

This paper analyses interactions between the real exchange rate and business cycles in a small open economy like Norway. Using a structural vector autoregression model, the role of different shocks are analysed, to investigate to what extent the real exchange rate is absorbing shocks, or a source of shocks itself. The results are ambiguous. Output and the real exchange rate are mainly explained by separate shocks, so that relinquishing exchange rate independence should come at little cost. However, the importance of nominal shocks in the business cycle emphasises that stabilisation is possible. Hence, remaining monetary independence may be attractive.     

Policy Choices and Resilience to International Monetary Shocks

Abstract

The well-known trilemma theory states that the nominal exchange rate regime plays a crucial role in a country's ability to pursue monetary policy that is for its domestic objectives independent from other countries' influences. In particular, a flexible exchange rate is required for an independent monetary policy. Capital controls may help a country with a fixed exchange rate to gain some policy space but the effect of capital controls is leaky and often short-lived. We revisit these conventional wisdoms and find no strong evidence supporting them in practice. In particular, a flexible exchange rate does not reliably deliver monetary policy independence, but capital controls do. This is consistent with the view that most (developing) countries dislike either depreciation or appreciation of their currencies, and therefore would choose to follow US monetary policy moves even if they are on a flexible exchange rate regime. In other words, to build resilience to international monetary policy shocks, capital controls are a necessarily component.     

Firm-level Utilization Rates of Regional Trade Agreements: Importers’ Perspective

This study provides evidence of firm-level utilization of regional trade agreements (RTAs) using transaction-level import data for Thailand. Two stylized facts are presented: some firms use RTA schemes in imports from RTA partner countries, whereas others do not; among firms that import from RTA partner countries under RTA schemes, some use RTA schemes for all transactions but others use them only for some transactions. To interpret these observations, we focus on the role of importers’ demand size. Specifically, we reveal that import firm-product-level RTA utilization rates are higher for larger-size importers in terms of demand, indicating that the difference in the share of utilization of RTA schemes across importers stems from the difference in the importers’ demand size. We also find that the utilization rates are higher when the preference margin, defined as most-favored-nation tariff rate minus RTA rate, is larger.     

The dilemma of exchange rate arrangements in East Asia

This paper analyzes exchange rate flexibility in East Asia and explores what has changed since the Asian financial crisis. Our focus is not on the choice of an appropriate exchange rate regime in East Asia, but rather on exchange rate flexibility and management in the region. We find that exchange rate management in East Asia differs based on the country and the time period. We identify major concerns about current exchange rate arrangements in East Asia, including asymmetric responses to external shocks, competitive devaluation, and the dilemma of choosing between asset dollarization and liability dollarization. The paper concludes with some policy implications for an exchange rate arrangement in East Asia.     

The Swedish real exchange rate under different currency regimes

This paper presents evidence on the behaviour of the Swedish real exchange rate relative to Germany under different currency regimes during the period 1973:1–2001:4. The results suggest that the real exchange rate is cointegrated with Swedish and German productivity, which is consistent with Balassa (1964) and Samuelson (1964). In the short run, the exchange rate regime has mattered for the dynamics of the real exchange rate. Deviations from long-run equilibrium have been adjusted more quickly when the nominal exchange rate has been allowed to float freely. JEL no. C22, E31, F41     

Real Effective Exchange Rate and Regional Economic Growth in China: Evidence from Provincial Data

Using data for the period 2000–2011, we construct province‐level real effective exchange rate (REER) indices for China and test the effect of REER depreciation on regional economic growth in a generalized method of moments regression framework. Our results show that REER depreciation, in general, promotes regional economic growth, through increasing net exports and lowering FDI costs. After dividing the full sample into coastal and inland subsamples, we find that REER depreciation influences economic growth in inland areas but not in coastal areas. This is due to the fact that the inland areas have more surplus labor or other resources to expand their production capacity when REER depreciation leads to increased world demand. Furthermore, compared to inland areas, processing‐and‐assembly trade comprises a larger share of trade in the coastal areas, where traders import more raw materials and intermediate goods to process and assemble goods. When the exchange rate depreciates, the costs of imported materials and immediate goods increase. In this case, the benefits from REER depreciation in coastal areas are offset to some extent and are thus lower than in inland areas.     

The Controversy of Exchange Rate Devaluation in Sudan: An Economy‐wide General Equilibrium Assessment

Abstract: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has worked with Sudan since 1997 to implement a managed float exchange rate. The IMF sees exchange rate flexibility as key to safeguard and rebuild foreign exchange reserves and essential to meet the international reserve target in Sudan. However, authorities in Sudan are concerned about the inflationary pressures that exchange rate flexibility may cause. A review of the literature reflects huge ambiguity about the outcome of exchange rate policies in Sudan. This calls for additional empirical investigations. This paper applies a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to investigate the possible effects of devaluing the currently overvalued Sudanese pound, by simulating a depreciation of the Sudanese pound by 5 per cent, 10 per cent and 15 per cent. Based on the results, the study recommends that additional flexibility of the Sudanese exchange rate regime as suggested by the IMF be carefully considered if such flexibility devalues the Sudanese pound.