Export Market

1. For calculation questions, show all workings.

Question 1

Suppose Mexico is a major export market for your U.S.-based company and the Mexican peso appreciates drastically against the U.S. dollar. Discuss its implications for your company and for Mexican companies that export to the U.S.

Question 2

In the 1850s the French franc was valued by both gold and silver, under the official French ratio which equated a gold franc to a silver franc 15½ times as heavy. At the same time, the gold from newly discovered mines in California poured into the market, depressing the value of gold. Discuss what would happen to the franc in this case.

Question 3

Suppose that the pound is pegged to gold at £20 per ounce and the dollar is pegged to gold at $35 per ounce. This implies an exchange rate of $1.75 per pound. If the current market exchange rate is $1.80 per pound, how would you take advantage of this situation?

Question 4

What is meant by the Incompatible Trinity? Illustrate your answer with an example of a fixed currency exchange regime and an example of a floating currency exchange regime.

Question 5

When a country’s currency depreciates against the currencies of its major trade partners, its trade balance often worsens in the short run before it starts to improve. This leads to a J curve in the trade balance. Illustrate the J curve graphically. Fully label your diagram (note: you are welcome to draw it by hand, take a photo and attach it here). Explain why the J curve happens.