An unpredictable currency value can throw a country’s economy into turmoil overnight. This is problematic for smaller countries because these types of changes can throw their economies into a free fall.
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Pegging a currency against another foreign currency — especially a major trading partner — is a strategy that provides some protection to governments, services, and whole economies. This process is called using a fixed exchange rate. But what exactly is a fixed exchange rate, and what does it mean for those doing business internationally?
A fixed exchange rate system is when a currency is tied to the value of another currency, which is also called “pegging.” This is the opposite of a floating exchange rate, where the value of a currency is based on supply and demand relative to other currencies on the forex market. Fixed exchange rates are stable and don’t change, whereas floating exchange rates shift according to geopolitical and economic conditions.
Many countries today peg their currencies against the US dollar or the euro. Why?
The goal of fixing domestic currency is to create stability. A country wants their currency to be stable for the sake of imports and exports, and to encourage investments.
A currency can be fixed in a couple of ways, including:
In 1944, World War II had just ended, and the Allied nations had a mutual problem. Many of them had printed a large amount of money to finance the war effort and were looking for mutual stability for their countries’ economies.
Additional printing of money during the war resulted in hyperinflation because there was more money than demand. In some countries, the value of their currency dipped so low that people needed a wheelbarrow full of money just to buy a loaf of bread. After the war, countries were eager to get back to the gold standard and to prevent future challenges.
An agreement was made that all countries present, and their central banks, would maintain a fixed exchange rate between their currencies and the US dollar.
Prior to this agreement, most countries, including the United States, followed the gold standard. Entering into the agreement meant that a country would redeem their currency for dollars instead of gold. But why did they peg their currencies against the US dollar?
At the time, the United States held about three-fourths of the world’s gold. No country had enough gold to back it as a replacement, so it was agreed that the US dollar would become the replacement for gold. As a result, the value of the US dollar grew compared to other worldwide currencies.
The main advantage of a fixed exchange rate system is that it provides countries with additional safety and security with currency conversion. For example, if a country is constantly working to keep their currency pegged against the US dollar or the euro, the risk of flooding their economy with the printing of additional currency is less.
Some advantages of a fixed exchange rate include:
When a currency is not pegged to another, the value of that currency may be subject to dramatic upswings and downturns. These sharp fluctuations can be problematic for trading.
For example, let’s say that a firm is exporting their product to another country. Suddenly, the value of their currency surges. The increase in the currency’s value might seem like a good thing, but it actually creates a new set of challenges. Trading partners might decide that because of the increased currency value, the products are no longer affordable, and they may halt their purchases.
It’s difficult to invest in a country whose exchange rates have the potential to fluctuate rapidly. Investing funds only for the value of the currency to change drastically could be costly and end up losing individuals, businesses, and countries large sums of money. For this reason, a country that uses a fixed rate encourages investments within the country from foreign investors.
A country without a fixed exchange rate is vulnerable to inflation. Without the pressure of having their currency’s value pegged to the chosen currency, governments may be tempted to print more currency during difficult times, thus affecting the rate system.
A fixed exchange rate provides a country with greater stability, but along with this stability comes drawbacks.
The country and its central bank must ensure that the currency stays in line with whatever currency they are pegged to.
For example, back in 1998, Hong Kong entered a fixed exchange rate agreement with the US. Today 7.75 Hong Kong dollars are equal to one US dollar. But the value of their currency is starting to change, so the central bank must quickly buy or trade its own currency to keep it at that 7.75:1 ratio. This is a very time-consuming task and requires the efforts of many professionals.
There may be times when a country needs to control economic objectives. Let’s say the value of the currency is falling, and the country needs to raise interest rates to stabilize the problem. Higher interest rates could negatively impact the fixed exchange rate, so the government has limits to what they can do while maintaining the fixed exchange rate.
Flexibility is limited when operating with a fixed exchange rate.
If the price of oil jumps overnight, and you’re in a country that imports oil, this also affects your country’s economy. However, when using a fixed exchange rate, there isn’t a way to minimize the existing account deficit in response to the increased price of oil.
Pegging a currency only occurs when a country enters into an agreement.
Entering when the value of the currency is low tends to create worry for some countries. Values that are too high make the products that a country produces not competitive in the marketplace.
Once entered into the agreement, the country is responsible for keeping its currency at the pegged rate. When the rate increases, they need to sell currency to lower it. And when the rate lowers, they need to buy currency to increase it. Keeping this balance requires a significant amount of time and resources.
Many countries have decided that the benefits of a fixed exchange rate are worth the disadvantages. There are many countries that still participate, despite the fact that some countries — such as the United States — have migrated to a floating exchange rate system. Currencies with floating exchange rate systems are called so because they fluctuate based on supply and demand relative to other currencies.
Here are a few examples:
The fixed exchange rate has provided stability for many countries, and that stability has provided much-needed predictability for trading partners and investors. Most countries peg their currency value against the US dollar or the euro. However, as more countries move to a floating exchange rate system it’s unknown what the future may have in store.
Currency conversion rates play an important role in the stability and prosperity of a country. Previous generations understood what could happen when a currency takes a sharp turn, and the dire consequences when it does. For example, in 1923, Germany experienced intense hyperinflation. The exchange rate between a US dollar and a German mark was one trillion marks to a single dollar. A literal wheelbarrow full of money couldn’t buy a single newspaper in the country of Germany!
A fixed exchange rate prevents these situations by pegging one currency to the value of another. It provides the ability to manage volatility, risk, inflation, and other consequences while keeping the autonomy of local currencies.
The fixed exchange rate continues to be relevant, despite some countries (like the US) moving away from it, especially for smaller countries that want to establish credibility with trading partners and investors.
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Veem provides an alternative to the outdated systems still used by banks, so that your money gets where it needs to be, when it needs to be there, with no hassle. Unlike other payment services that profit from marked up exchange rates, Veem allows businesses to lock-in exchange rates and save.
Banks and payment services tend to inflate exchange rates much higher than what’s required. But with Veem, businesses can select a favorable exchange rate and lock it in with Locked Rates. That way, fluctuations in exchange rates won’t hurt your business. With Veem’s Locked Rates, businesses can eliminate time spent required to calculate various exchange rates.
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