Canadian Markets for U.S. Dollars

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Canadian Markets for U.S. Dollars Canadian Markets for U.S. Dollars Oscar L. Altman* HE OPERATIONS of Canadian banks in foreign currencies, T principally in U.S. dollars, have been growing rapidly in recent years.1 Foreign currency deposits (liabilities) increased by US$680 million in 1961, and by US$330 million in the first six months of 1962, reaching a total of US$3.7 billion.2 Approximately 16 per cent of this total consisted of deposits of banks. Deposits of nonbanking enter- prises and of individuals accounted for the remainder and were a larger proportion than they had been for several years. Although a substantial part of these foreign currency (principally U.S. dollar) deposits were made in accordance with normal customer and trade relationships, the increases in recent years are largely the result of the willingness of Canadian banks to pay interest rates higher than those paid by New York banks and of their ability to find profitable outlets for these additional funds. In 1961, two other factors served to stimulate the growth of U.S. dollar deposits: the Canadian withholding tax on corporate dividends (i.e., tax deducted at the source) was increased from 5 per cent to 15 per cent, and some deposits in Canadian dollars were shifted to U.S. dollars in anticipation of changes in the Canadian exchange rate. In 1961, increases in deposits with other banks and in loans other * Mr. Altman, Advisor in the Research and Statistics Department, is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Chicago. He taught economics at Ohio State University and was on the staff of the National Resources Planning Board and of the French Supply Council. He was Director of Administration of the Fund until 1954. He is the author of Savings, Investment, and National Income and of a number of papers published in technical journals. 1 The role of Canada as a foreign market for U.S. dollars was discussed in "Foreign Markets for Dollars, Sterling, and Other Currencies," by Oscar L. Alt- man, in Staff Papers, Vol. VIII (1960-61), pp. 313^2. A number of points have here been corrected or clarified; and the discussion has been brought to date and made more comprehensive. This paper is an adjunct to one on "Recent Developments in Foreign Markets for Dollars and Other Currencies" which will appear in the next issue of Staff Papers. 2 In published reports, foreign currency assets and liabilities of the Canadian chartered banks are given in Canadian dollars. Because of the variations in the exchange rate, the figures are restated in this paper in U.S. dollars, to measure flows of funds more accurately. Therefore, all dollar figures quoted are U.S. dollars, unless otherwise specified. At the end of June 1962, foreign currency deposits stated in Canadian dollars were $4 billion (Appendix I). 297 ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution 298 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND STAFF PAPERS than "street" loans (call and short-term loans to brokers and dealers in New York) were unusually large and accounted for practically all of the increase in foreign currency assets ($716 million). Deposits with other banks increased by $431 million, to $965 million. These deposits represented funds placed in Euro-dollar markets, largely London, but also Paris and other continental centers; they further increased the important role of Canadian banks as suppliers of Euro-dollars. Other current loans increased by $208 million, to $1,025 million. This in- crease largely represented commercial loans made in U.S. dollars to U.S. and Canadian corporations in Canada and to corporations in the United States. Foreign currency assets (largely dollars) of Canadian banks at the end of 1961 consisted of deposits with other banks, 28 per cent; securities, mostly short-term U.S. Government securities, 19 per cent; "street" loans, 23 per cent; other loans, 30 per cent. Considerably more than half of the total represented liabilities of the U.S. Government and U.S. residents. A sharp decline in the volume of "street" loans in New York in the second quarter of 1962 paralleled that of prices in the stock market. Although the share of the Canadian banks in outstanding "street" loans remained about the same, their amount decreased to $547 million, and to 15 per cent of total assets. Holdings of securities increased to 27 per cent of the total. Canadian statistics report the assets and liabilities of commercial (chartered) banks in foreign currencies, but provide no detail on the distribution by currency or by residence of owner. This is unfortunate in view of the large operations of Canadian banks in foreign currencies and their importance for better understanding of capital movements and the balance of payments. It is nevertheless estimated that in 1961 deposits held by residents of the United States increased by at least $150 million, and perhaps by as much as $250 million. These figures may be compared with the U.S. balance of payments deficit of $2.4 billion reported by the Department of Commerce for 1961. Position of Canadian Agencies in New York The New York agencies of Canadian banks, like other agencies of foreign banks, cannot accept deposits in the United States. They can, however, obtain large volumes of deposits denominated in U.S. dollars for their Canadian offices.8 When a U.S. depositor, or a Canadian or other 3 These may be the head offices or designated Canadian branches. In what follows, these are summarily referred to as the "head offices." ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution CANADIAN MARKETS FOR U.S. DOLLARS 29 foreign depositor, transfers his deposit denominated in U.S. dollars from a U.S. bank to a Canadian bank, the depositor is credited with a deposit denominated in U.S. dollars, and the head office acquires a deposit in a U.S. bank. If the head office subsequently (or simultaneously) advances these funds to the New York agency, the agency acquires the deposit in a U.S. bank and shows a corresponding amount as due to the head office in Canada. The head offices supervise with close attention—and often trans- action by transaction—the activities of agencies and branches with respect to obtaining deposits. They determine the amount of deposits sought, the rates of interest to be paid, and the investment of the deposited funds. In addition, the head offices may themselves obtain U.S. dollar deposits. The assets represented by any of these deposits may be invested by the head offices, by the New York agencies, or by foreign branches in Europe. They may be invested in the United States, in Canada, or in other countries. The New York agencies of foreign banks, Canadian and other, are not required to maintain reserves in the United States against funds advanced to them by their head offices. Reserves are required against deposits, and advances are legally not deposits. Legislation adopted by New York in 1961 made it possible for foreign banks to have branches in New York, which can accept deposits. Though a number of foreign banks have since established branches in New York, or converted their agencies to branches, the Canadian banks have not. The latter can attract such a large volume of dollar deposits—to some extent through their head offices, but principally through their New York agencies—that they see little advantage in converting their agencies to branches. Indeed, given this ability, there is some advantage in retaining agency status. It is sometimes said that Canadian agencies have a competitive advantage in the New York money market by virtue of the fact that U.S. banks must maintain reserves against their deposits while Cana- dian agencies need not do so against advances by their head offices. A detailed examination of this proposition (Appendix II) suggests, however, that any such competitive advantage is not of major signifi- cance. Foreign Currency Deposits in Canadian Banks In Canadian banks, deposits denominated in foreign currencies have for many years been increasing much more rapidly than those de- ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution 300 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND STAFF PAPERS nominated in Canadian dollars. Thus, since 1956, the former increased by 165 per cent, and the latter by 25 per cent. Between the end of 1960 and the end of June 1962, Canadian dollar deposits increased by 10 per cent and foreign currency deposits (expressed in U.S. dollars), by 35 per cent (Table 1). TABLE 1. CANADA: DOLLAR AND FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS OF CHARTERED BANKS, END OF YEAR OR QUARTER, 1956-62 Foreign Currency Deposits Canadian Dollar Deposits Amount Increase (billion Can. dollars) (billion U.S. dollars) (million U.S. dollars) 1956 11.2 1.4 369 1957 11.4 1.9 429 1958 12.7 2.2 298 1959 12.3 2.5 336 1960 12.9 2.7 175 1961 14.2 3.3 681 1962 I 13.9 3.6 254 II 14.2 3.7 77 Sources: Canadian dollar deposits are from Bank of Canada, Statistical Summary; foreign currency deposits are data from Appendix I, infra, converted to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing at the end of the period. The foreign currency deposits are given in U.S. dollars in Table 1, because their amount varies with additions and withdrawals in foreign currency (largely U.S. dollars). The difference between changes in deposits stated in the two currencies is substantial, since the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar fluctuated between approximately US$0.95 and US$1.08 during the period. For example, in 1961, the increase in foreign currency deposits measured in Canadian dollars was $835 million; but restated in U.S.
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