Problem 1
Do all international financial transactions necessarily involve exchanging one nation's distinct currency for another? Explain. Could a nation that neither imports goods and services nor exports goods and services still engage in international financial transactions?
Problem 2
Explain: "U.S. exports earn supplies of foreign currencies that Americans can use to finance imports." Indicate whether each of the following creates a demand for or a supply of European euros in foreign exchange markets: a. A U.S. airline firm purchases several Airbus planes assembled in France. b. A German automobile firm decides to build an assembly plant in South Carolina. c. A U.S. college student decides to spend a year studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. d. An Italian manufacturer ships machinery from one Italian port to another on a Liberian freighter. e. The U.S. economy grows faster than the French economy. f. A U.S. government bond held by a Spanish citizen matures, and the loan amount is paid back to that person. g. It is widely expected that the euro will depreciate in the near future.
Problem 3
What do the plus signs and negative signs signify in the U.S. balance-of- payments statement? Which of the following items appear in the current account and which appear in the capital and financial account? U.S. purchases of assets abroad; U.S. services imports; foreign purchases of assets in the United States; U.S. goods exports; U.S. net investment income. Why must the current account and the capital and financial account sum to zero?
Problem 4
"Exports pay for imports. Yet in 2012 the nations of the world exported about \(\$ 540\) billion more of goods and services to the United States than they imported from the United States." Resolve the apparent inconsistency of these two statements.
Problem 5
Generally speaking, how is the dollar price of euros determined? Cite a factor that might increase the dollar price of euros. Cite a different factor that might decrease the dollar price of euros. Explain: "A rise in the dollar price of euros necessarily means a fall in the euro price of dollars." Illustrate and elaborate: "The dollar-euro exchange rate provides a direct link between the prices of goods and services produced in the eurozone and in the United States." Explain the purchasing-powerparity theory of exchange rates, using the euro-dollar exchange rate as an illustration.
Problem 6
Suppose that a Swiss watchmaker imports watch components from Sweden and exports watches to the United States. Also suppose the dollar depreciates, and the Swedish krona appreciates, relative to the Swiss franc. Speculate as to how each would hurt the Swiss watchmaker.
Problem 7
Explain why the U.S. demand for Mexican pesos is downsloping and the supply of pesos to Americans is upsloping. Assuming a system of flexible exchange rates between Mexico and the United States, indicate whether each of the following would cause the Mexican peso to appreciate or depreciate, other things equal: a. The United States unilaterally reduces tariffs on Mexican products. b. Mexico encounters severe inflation. c. Deteriorating political relations reduce American tourism in Mexico. d. The U.S. economy moves into a severe recession. e. The United States engages in a high-interest-rate monetary policy. f. Mexican products become more fashionable to U.S. consumers. g. The Mexican government encourages U.S. firms to invest in Mexican oil fields. h. The rate of productivity growth in the United States diminishes sharply.
Problem 8
Explain why you agree or disagree with the following statements. Assume other things equal. a. A country that grows faster than its major trading partners can expect the international value of its currency to depreciate. b. A nation whose interest rate is rising more rapidly than interest rates in other nations can expect the international value of its currency to appreciate. c. A country's currency will appreciate if its inflation rate is less than that of the rest of the world.
Problem 9
Would it be accurate to think of a fixed exchange rate as a simultaneous price ceiling and price floor?
Problem 10
What have been the major causes of the large U.S. trade deficits in recent years? What are the major benefits and costs associated with trade deficits? Explain: "A trade deficit means that a nation is receiving more goods and services from abroad than it is sending abroad." How can that be considered to be "unfavorable"?
