Floating exchange rate is the fixed exchange rate symmetry. Based on market supply and demand and free up or down, the monetary authorities not to interfere in the exchange rate. With floating exchange rates, gold parity has lost practical significance, since the official exchange rate is only a reference. The floating form, if the government intervention on exchange rate fluctuations are not entirely left to supply and demand determine the exchange rate, referred to as free-floating or clean floating. However, governments in order to maintain exchange rate stability, or for some political and economic purposes, to make the exchange rate up or down, more or less the volatility of the exchange rate interventions. This floating exchange rate in the international arena known as managed floating or dirty floating. 1973 after the collapse of fixed exchange rate system, the Western countries generally floating exchange rate system.
Floating exchange rate - the main features
First, exchange rate fluctuations in various forms,
Including a free floating exchange rate float, managed float, pegged to floating, single floating, floating, etc. combined. Second, the floating exchange rate system, not a pure free-floating exchange rate, government rate when necessary, will be overt or covert intervention. Third, due to exchange rate changes are determined by market supply and demand conditions, so a floating exchange rate than a fixed exchange rate fluctuations to be frequent, and large amplitude. Fourth, the SDR currency basket exchange rate as part of a system.
A managed floating exchange rate system is that a country's monetary authorities in accordance with their economic interests, to intervene in the foreign exchange market from time to time to make their exchange rates down towards the direction conducive to their exchange rate regime. In a managed floating exchange rate system, the monetary authorities to determine the exchange rate to fluctuate within the range. Helps to eliminate short-term floating range of factors, when the range of exchange rate fluctuations still can not eliminate the impact of short-term factors on the exchange rate, the central bank to conduct foreign exchange market intervention in order to eliminate short-term factors.
Floating point of view, a floating exchange rate fluctuations can be divided into separate and joint float. Single floating exchange rate a country's own currency fluctuations, changes in the exchange rate has nothing to do with the other currencies. The joint float is implemented in several countries under the conditions of an economic union, exchange rate fluctuations made of differentiated arrangements. Internally, the participating countries for the economic integration of several provisions of their center of currency exchange rates, currency exchange rate fluctuations between them can not exceed a certain range; over a certain range, to participate in the joint float of the country's central bank to intervene. Externally, these countries are unified floating exchange rate. In addition to the above two floating way, there is a floating peg, referring to some countries due to historical reasons or the need for the import and export trade structure, the national currency's exchange rate with one or a few key currencies, and then with the currency exchange rate fluctuations.