- Definition: Measure of many inflows and outflows between the U.S and the rest of the world (ROW)
Outflows are referred to as DEBITS
Balanced of payments is 8 into 3 accounts
-current
-capital/financial
-official reserves
- Current Account
-Exports of goods/services.
-Exports create a credit to balance of payments.
-Imports create a debit to the balance of payments.
-Net foreign income
-Income earned by U.S foreign held U.S assets.
-Ex: interest payments on U.S owned Brazilian bonds-interest payments on German owned U.S Treasury bonds
-Net transfers (Tend to be unilateral)
-Foreign aid-debit to the current account
Ex: Mexican migrant workers send money to their families in Mexico.
- Capital/Financial Account
-includes purchase of both real and financial assets.
-Direct investment in the U.S is a credit to the capital account.
-Ex: Toyota Factory in San Antonio
-Direct investment by the U.S firms/ individuals in a foreign country are debits to the capital account.
-Ex: Wareen Buffet by stock in Perochina
Purchase of domestic financial assets by foreigners represents a credit to the capital account.
-United Arab Emirates \wealth funds purchases a large state in the NASPAQ
- Relationship between current and capital account
-Remember double entry bookkeeping.
Current account and capital account should zero each other out.
-That is if current account has a negative balance (deficit), then the capital account should then have a positive balance (Surplus)
- Official Reserves
When there is a balance of payments surplus the Fed accumulates foreign currency and debits the balance of payments.
When there is a balance of payments deficit the Fed depletes its reserves of foreign currency and credits the balance of payments.
Official reserves zero the balance of payments.
- Active V. Passive Official Reserves
- Balance of Trade
Exports Inputs
- Balance on goods and serves
Exports Exports Inputs Inputs
- Current Account
- Capital Account