Alan Beattie and Tom Braithwaite
Financial Times
October 5, 2010
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
The world’s leading countries should agree a new currency pact to help rebalance the global economy, a leading association of financial institutions has urged.
The Institute of International Finance, which represents more than 420 of the world’s leading banks and finance houses, warned on Monday that a lack of such co-ordinated rebalancing could lead to more protectionism. Charles Dallara, IIF managing director, said: “A core group of the world’s leading economies need to come together and hammer out an understanding.”
Last week, Guido Mantega, Brazil’s finance minister, warned of the dangers of a “currency war” as countries unilaterally intervened to prevent the appreciation of their currencies. The US has been pressing China to allow its exchange rate to rise faster, while several countries including Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland, have been intervening to hold their currencies down.
Know what’s important: Having a Healthy Food Supply is Essential
Mr Dallara, who as a US official worked on the 1985 Plaza Accord which co-ordinated international action to strengthen the yen against the dollar, called for a more sophisticated updated version of such an agreement. This should include stronger commitments to medium-term fiscal stringency in the US and structural reform in Europe. “Exchange rate understandings are of little use on their own,” he said.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!