An interesting new problem may have arisen for currency traders, how to trade a declining Yuan. The assertion regarding the Chinese currency for many years has been that the People’s Bank of China buys dollars in order to reduce the value of the Yuan and keep Chinese exports flowing. The continuing balance of payments deficits that the US, especially, runs with China, has led US and other lawmakers to demand that China allow its currency to float without any intervention. The theory is that by allowing the Yuan to float Chinese exports will become more expensive and less competitive. Now it appears that the Yuan is falling in value, and not because of currency manipulation. Today’s currency traders trade a declining Yuan as the global economic recovery weakens and the twin financial crises in North America and Europe threaten a second dip to the recession and substantially reduced imports from China. In addition an increase in Chinese imports may well erase the Chinese trade surplus, according to Chinese sources.
Those who currently trade a declining Yuan, have watched as Yuan forwards declined. Forwards are derivative contracts used to hedge currency risk or engage in currency speculation for profit. Unlike trading options on currencies no money changes hands when a forward contract is agreed upon. Also, unlike options contracts, both the seller and the buyer are obligated to fulfill their portion of the forward contract on the delivery date. As currency traders anticipate a falling Yuan, forwards decline. The early result of the debt crisis in Europe and the USA has been the appreciation of other currencies, including the Yuan. However, the threat of a substantial economic downturn in both economies threatens Chinese exports and threatens to drive down the Yuan. Chinese exports did, in fact, fall last month. While talk of internationalization of the Yuan persists its value seems to be driving today by the market and much less so by currency manipulation.
To trade a declining Yuan will require a change of mindset for many traders. The Yuan rose to a seventeen year high against the dollar in mid-November, after a nearly four percent run up this year. Some may merely view this as a correction. However, the debt issues in Europe and North America are terribly real. Thus the Asian exporters who have profited from keeping their currencies weak and have built up huge dollar and Euro currency reserves are likely to pay a price in terms of reduced exports. A silver lining to the clouds may be that as the Yuan depreciates the value of China’s reserves will go up. For those set to trade a declining Yuan two general issues come to mind. One is that the continued appreciation of the Yuan is not guaranteed, especially if China ceases to manipulate its currency. The other is that China has its own set of internal issues and problems. The nation has had steady economic growth for years and many Chinese would consider it political suicide to drastically reduce exports and cash flow into the country. China states that it intends to increase development of internal infrastructure projects in order to maintain high employment and its internal economy. With time, to trade a declining Yuan or a rising Yuan traders may spend less time concerning themselves with currency manipulation and will watch the same sorts of employment numbers and statistics as they watch in the USA when trading the US dollar. With time the Yuan could join the dollar as a safe haven currency.
