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The dollar's falling back to Earth as other countries raise their own interest rates

Aug 22, 2023
A year ago, U.S. exporters were complaining that the dollar was too strong. Not anymore.
A weaker U.S. dollar could help companies that export, while importers might have to pay more for the products they bring in.
Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images

A strong dollar is hurting exports, helping imports and expanding the trade deficit

Feb 7, 2023
The dollar's strong because the Federal Reserve's been raising interest rates.
American exports have been hurt by the slowing global economy and the strong dollar. Above, a container ship at Cuxhaven, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Strong U.S. dollar presents problems for much of the world

Sep 28, 2022
Good for U.S. tourists and importers. Bad for exporters and fragile world economies.
A teller in Lebanon holds U.S. currency. The strong dollar is affecting imports, exports and foreign countries' debts.
Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

The dollar's strong right now. That's a problem for American companies doing business abroad.

Jun 7, 2022
But it's great for Americans who want to buy imports.
A strong U.S. dollar is great for Americans who want to buy foreign products. For American companies that sell products abroad? Not so much.
Matt Cardy/Getty Images

What does a strong dollar mean for the U.S. and world economies?

May 17, 2022
A strong dollar means lower prices for goods from abroad. For countries that import commodities priced in dollars, however, it's bad news.
Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Here are some reasons why China's currency is sinking

Oct 10, 2018
One U.S. dollar today is worth about 9.92 Chinese yuan. That’s down nearly 10 percent from where it was last spring. That drop has the attention of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who said Wednesday he wants to make sure China is not doing “competitive devaluations.” That’s when a country seeks an advantage by making its […]
An employee counts 100-yuan notes at a bank in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province on July 23, 2018.
AFP/Getty Images

Venezuela launches new currency, but problems remain

Aug 20, 2018
Today Venezuela rolls out its new currency – the “sovereign bolivar.” It’s one of several steps the country is taking to curb runaway inflation, which is likely to top 1 million percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. What effect will this have on the South American nation’s economy? Click the audio player […]
A man shows new five Bolivar-notes in Caracas on Aug. 20, 2018.
FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images

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How strong is the U.S. dollar's position as a reserve currency?

Aug 15, 2018
Russian officials were in Turkey on Tuesday, talking with the government there about possible solutions for Turkey’s currency crisis. Both countries are also facing U.S. sanctions, so one idea they floated: Stick to their own national currencies for trade and avoid using the dollar at all. On top of that, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed […]
The dollar is an international currency — a common denomination for global business. 
Yasin Akgul/AFP/Getty Images

And now, a currency war?

Jul 20, 2018
President Donald Trump today accused Beijing of manipulating its currency. This is not a new charge. But what has occurred is an 8 percent fall in the Chinese currency against the dollar since the trade spat began in the spring. That helps Chinese exporters, because it effectively makes their products cheaper.   Click the audio […]
A man looks at information posted on a bank door showing how to distinguish real banknotes in Beijing on July 20, 2018. - China's yuan continued its steady decline on July 20, defying US President Donald Trump's warning over the dollar's rise and providing Beijing with a buffer against punitive trade tariffs imposed by Washington. 
WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images

Turkey raises interest rates to stem currency crisis

May 23, 2018
The Turkish lira has been on a wild slide recently. It dropped 5 percent against the dollar Wednesday, its biggest loss in nearly a decade, before the country’s Central Bank stepped in with an emergency meeting that reversed some of those losses. The bank finally did something it’d been resisting. Something its president had been […]