China's record draw on its foreign-exchange reserves is proving to be a catalyst for exaggerated price swings in currency markets around the world.

The People's Bank of China slashed its holdings by the most ever last quarter to prop up the yuan after its shock devaluation in August. It's burned through close to half a trillion dollars since the middle of last year, equivalent to twice the size of Greece's economy and draining a key source of liquidity from world markets.

Swings in exchange rates responded by averaging the highest last month since 2011. And the pressure shows few signs of abating as central banks elsewhere in the developing world follow China's lead amid a commodities rout and the prospect of a dollar-boosting increase to U.S. interest rates.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.