Currency union

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World map of current international currency unions Currency union.PNG
World map of current international currency unions

A currency union (also known as monetary union) is an intergovernmental agreement that involves two or more states sharing the same currency. These states may not necessarily have any further integration (such as an economic and monetary union, which would have, in addition, a customs union and a single market).

Contents

There are three types of currency unions:

The theory of the optimal currency area addresses the question of how to determine what geographical regions should share a currency in order to maximize economic efficiency. [2]

Advantages and disadvantages

Implementing a new currency in a country is always a controversial topic because it has both many advantages and disadvantages. New currency has different impacts on businesses and individuals, which creates more points of view on the usefulness of currency unions. As a consequence, governmental institutions often struggle when they try to implement a new currency, for example by entering a currency union.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Convergence and divergence

Convergence in terms of macroeconomics means that countries have a similar economic behaviour (similar inflation rates and economic growth). It is easier to form a currency union for countries with more convergence as these countries have the same or at least very similar goals. The European Monetary Union (EMU) is a contemporary model for forming currency unions. Membership in the EMU requires that countries follow a strictly defined set of criteria (the member states are required to have a specific rate of inflation, government deficit, government debt, long-term interest rates and exchange rate). Many other unions have adopted the view that convergence is necessary, so they now follow similar rules to aim the same direction.

Divergence is the exact opposite of convergence. Countries with different goals are very difficult to integrate in a single currency union. Their economic behaviour is completely different, which may lead to disagreements. Divergence is therefore not optimal for forming a currency union. [6]

History

The first currency unions were established in the 19th century. The German Zollverein came into existence in 1834, and by 1866, it included most of the German states. The fragmented states of the German Confederation agreed on common policies to increase trade and political unity.

The Latin Monetary Union, comprising France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and Greece, existed between 1865 and 1927, with coinage made of gold and silver. Coins of each country were legal tender and freely interchangeable across the area. The union's success made other states join informally.

The Scandinavian Monetary Union, comprising Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, existed between 1873 and 1905 and used a currency based on gold. The system was dissolved by Sweden in 1924. [7]

A currency union among the British colonies and protectorates in Southeast Asia, namely the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, Singapore and Brunei was established in 1952. The Malaya and British Borneo dollar, the common currency for circulation was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo from 1953 until 1967. Following the cessation of the common currency arrangement, Malaysia (the combination of Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak), Singapore and Brunei began issuing their own currencies. Contemporarily, a currency reunion of these countries might still be feasible based on the findings of economic convergence. [8] [9]

List of currency unions

Existing

CurrencyUnionUsersEst.StatusPopulation
CFA franc Issued by the (French) Overseas Issuing Institute between 1945 and 1962 then by the Central Bank of West African States and the Bank of Central African States West African CFA franc users:

Flag of Benin.svg  Benin
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Côte d'Ivoire
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo


Central African CFA franc users:
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg  Equatorial Guinea
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Republic of the Congo

1945Formal, common policy151,978,440
CFP franc Issued by the (French) Overseas Issuing Institute Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia

Flag of FLNKS.svg  New Caledonia
Flag of Wallis and Futuna.svg  Wallis and Futuna

1945Formal, common policy552,537
Eastern Caribbean dollar Eastern Caribbean Currency Union of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the OECS.Flag of Anguilla.svg  Anguilla

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda
Flag of Dominica.svg  Dominica
Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada
Flag of Montserrat.svg  Montserrat
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  Saint Kitts and Nevis
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

1965Formal, common policy
de facto EMU for CSME members [10]
625,000
Euro International status and usage of the euro Flag of Europe.svg Eurozone:

Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain


and EU special territories:
Flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.svg  French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Flag of Saint Barthelemy (Local).svg  Saint Barthélemy
Flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.svg  Saint Pierre and Miquelon


Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra
Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo
Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino
Flag of the Vatican City (2023-present).svg  Vatican City

1999/2002Formal, common policy and EMU for EU members
Formal for Monaco and Akrotiri and Dhekelia (which form part of the EU's customs territory)
Informal for Kosovo, Montenegro
Formal for Andorra and San Marino (which are in customs union with the EU's customs territory)
341,008,867
Singapore dollar

Brunei dollar

Managed together by the Monetary Authority of Singapore Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei

Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore

1967Formal; currencies mutually exchangeable [11] 5,137,000
Australian dollar Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia

and external territories:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australian Antarctic Territory
Flag of Christmas Island.svg  Christmas Island
Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.svg  Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Coral Sea Islands Territory
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Flag of Norfolk Island.svg  Norfolk Island


Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati
Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu

1966Informal24,557,000
Pound sterling Sterling area (former)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom

and Overseas Territories:
Flag of the British Antarctic Territory.svg  British Antarctic Territory
Flag of the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.svg  British Indian Ocean Territory
Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg  Falkland Islands
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.svg  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands


and Crown Dependencies:
Flag of Guernsey.svg  Bailiwick of Guernsey
Flag of Jersey.svg  Bailiwick of Jersey
Flag of the Isle of Man.svg  Isle of Man

1939Semi-formal. UK banknotes are legal tender in locations outside the UK. Local currencies are pegged to the GBP but not necessarily accepted in the UK: Guernsey pound, Manx pound, Jersey pound and Alderney pound, Falkland Islands pound, Gibraltar pound, Saint Helena pound 62,321,000
Indian rupee Flag of India.svg  India

Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan [12]
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal [13]

1974Informal

Nepal minor usage

1,352,000,000
New Zealand dollar Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand

and Realm:
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands
Flag of Niue.svg  Niue
Flag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau


Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg  Pitcairn Islands

1967Informal4,411,000
Israeli new sheqel Flag of Israel.svg  Israel

Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine

1927/1986Informal11,738,000
Jordanian dinar [14] [15] Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan

Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine (West Bank only)

Informal8,922,000
Russian ruble Flag of Russia.svg  Russia

Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.svg  Abkhazia
Flag of South Ossetia.svg  South Ossetia

2008Informal142,177,000
South African rand Multilateral Monetary Area Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho

Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini

1974Formal
de facto customs and monetary union for the SACU member countries
52,924,669
Swiss franc Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein

Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland

1920Informal
de facto economic and monetary union—1924 creation of a customs union, then members of the European Free Trade Association (a common market), and now also part of the European Single Market.
8,547,015
Turkish lira Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey

Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg  Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

1983Informal75,081,100
United States dollar Flag of the United States.svg  United States

and insular areas:
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam
Flag of the United States (DoS ECA Color Standard).svg  United States Minor Outlying Islands
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  United States Virgin Islands


and Compact of Free Association members: Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Federated States of Micronesia
Flag of Palau.svg  Palau


Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama
Flag of East Timor.svg  Timor-Leste
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg  Turks and Caicos Islands
Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands
Flag of the Netherlands.svg BES islands

1904

(Panama only)

Formal for insular areas and sovereign status with Compact of Free Association, [16] informal for other areas339,300,000

Note: Every customs and monetary union and economic and monetary union also has a currency union.

Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe is theoretically in a currency union with four blocs as the South African rand, Botswana pula, British pound and US dollar freely circulate. The US Dollar was, until 2016, official tender. [17]

Additionally, the autonomous and dependent territories, such as some of the EU member state special territories, are sometimes treated as separate customs territory from their mainland state or have varying arrangements of formal or de facto customs union, common market and currency union (or combinations thereof) with the mainland and in regards to third countries through the trade pacts signed by the mainland state. [18]

Currency union in Europe

The European currency union is a part of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU). EMU was formed during the second half of the 20th century after historic agreements, such as Treaty of Paris (1951), Maastricht Treaty (1992). In 2002, the euro, a single European currency, was adopted by 12 member states. Currently, the Eurozone has 20 member states. The other members of the European Union are required to adopt the euro as their currency (except for Denmark, which has been given the right to opt out), but there has not been a specific date set. The main independent institution responsible for stability of the euro is the European Central Bank (ECB). Together with 15 national banks it forms the European System of Central Banks. The Governing Board consists of the Executive Committee of the ECB and the governors of individual national banks, and determines the monetary policy, as well as short-term monetary objectives, key interest rates and the extent of monetary reserves. [19]

Planned

CommunityCurrencyRegionTarget dateNotes
Flag of the East African Community.svg East African Community East African shilling Africa2012 (not met), 2015 (not met), 2024 [20]
West African Monetary Zone Eco Africa2027Inside Economic Community of West African States, planned to eventually merge with West African franc
ASEAN+3 Asian Monetary Unit [ citation needed ]Asia ?a free trade agreements matrix partially established
GCC Flag.svg Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Khaleeji Arabian Peninsula ? Oman and the United Arab Emirates do not intend to adopt the currency at first but will do at a later date.
Flag of the African Union.svg African Economic Community Afro or Afriq Africa2028 [21] Planned for 2028 or later
Brazil, Argentina and possibly other countriesSurLatin America ?As Financial Times reports, Brazil and Argentina will announce in January 2023 that they are starting preparatory work on a common currency "Sur" (South). The initiative would later be extended to invite other Latin American nations. [22]

Disbanded

Never materialized

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollar</span> Name of monetary currency

Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Eastern Caribbean dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, Trinidad and Tobago Dollar and several others. The symbol for most of those currencies is the dollar sign $ in the same way as many countries using peso currencies. The name "dollar" originates from Bohemia and a 29 g silver-coin called the Joachimsthaler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euro</span> Currency of most countries in the European Union

The euro is the official currency of 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the euro area or, more commonly, the eurozone. The euro is divided into 100 euro cents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic and monetary union</span> Trade bloc with a common tariff and currency

An economic and monetary union (EMU) is a type of trade bloc that features a combination of a common market, customs union, and monetary union. Established via a trade pact, an EMU constitutes the sixth of seven stages in the process of economic integration. An EMU agreement usually combines a customs union with a common market. A typical EMU establishes free trade and a common external tariff throughout its jurisdiction. It is also designed to protect freedom in the movement of goods, services, and people. This arrangement is distinct from a monetary union, which does not usually involve a common market. As with the economic and monetary union established among the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), an EMU may affect different parts of its jurisdiction in different ways. Some areas are subject to separate customs regulations from other areas subject to the EMU. These various arrangements may be established in a formal agreement, or they may exist on a de facto basis. For example, not all EU member states use the Euro established by its currency union, and not all EU member states are part of the Schengen Area. Some EU members participate in both unions, and some in neither.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shilling</span> Name for a coin or unit of currency

The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or one-twentieth of a pound before being phased out during the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Currency substitution</span> Use of a foreign currency in parallel to or instead of a domestic currency

Currency substitution is the use of a foreign currency in parallel to or instead of a domestic currency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal tender</span> Medium of payment recognized by law

Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in payment of a debt extinguishes the debt. There is no obligation on the creditor to accept the tendered payment, but the act of tendering the payment in legal tender discharges the debt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian ringgit</span> Official currency of Malaysia

The Malaysian ringgit is the currency of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 sen. The ringgit is issued by the Central Bank of Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunei dollar</span> Monetary currency of the Sultanate of Brunei

The Brunei dollar, has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 sen (Malay) or cents (English). The Brunei dollar is issued by the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Currency board</span> Monetary authority which maintains a fixed exchange rate to a foreign currency

In public finance, a currency board is a monetary authority which is required to maintain a fixed exchange rate with a foreign currency. This policy objective requires the conventional objectives of a central bank to be subordinated to the exchange rate target. In colonial administration, currency boards were popular because of the advantages of printing appropriate denominations for local conditions, and it also benefited the colony with the seigniorage revenue. However, after World War II many independent countries preferred to have central banks and independent currencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore dollar</span> Official currency of Singapore

The Singapore dollar is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issues the banknotes and coins of the Singapore dollar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East African shilling</span> Currency of British East Africa from 1921 until 1969

The East African shilling was the sterling unit of account in British-controlled areas of East Africa from 1921 until 1969. It was issued by the East African Currency Board. It is also the proposed name for a common currency that the East African Community plans to introduce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common Monetary Area</span> A Monetary Union

The Common Monetary Area (CMA) links South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini into a monetary union. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) includes all CMA members in addition to Botswana, which replaced the rand with the pula in 1976 as a means of establishing an independent monetary policy. The CMA facilitates trade and promotes economic development between its member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaya and British Borneo dollar</span> Currency of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo, Brunei, and Riau

The Malaya and British Borneo dollar was the currency of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo, Brunei and the Riau archipelago from 1953 to 1967 and was the successor of the Malayan dollar and Sarawak dollar, replacing them at par. The currency was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo. Prior to 1952, the board was known as the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese government–issued dollar in Malaya and Borneo</span>

The Japanese government-issued dollar was a form of currency issued for use within the Imperial Japan-occupied territories of Singapore, Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei between 1942 and 1945. The currency was also referred to informally as banana money, named as such because of the motifs of banana trees on 10 dollar banknotes. The Japanese dollar was in widespread use within the occupied territories where the previous currency became scarce. The currency were referred to as "dollars" and "cents" like its predecessors, the Straits dollar, Malayan dollar, Sarawak dollar and British North Borneo dollar.

The Khaleeji was a proposed name for a common currency of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The history and development of British currency in the Middle East emerged from the 19th century. British involvement in the Middle East began with the Aden Settlement in 1839. The British East India Company established an anti-piracy station in Aden to protect British shipping that was sailing to and from India. The Trucial States were similarly brought into the British Empire as a base for suppressing sea piracy in the Persian Gulf. Involvement in the region expanded to Egypt because of the Suez canal, as well as to Bahrain, Qatar, and Muscat. Kuwait was added in 1899 because of fears about the proposed Berlin-Baghdad Railway. There was a growing fear in the United Kingdom that Germany was a rising power, and there was concern about the implications of access to the Persian Gulf that would arise from the Berlin-Baghdad Railway. After the First World War the British influence in the Middle East reached its fullest extent with the inclusion of Palestine, Transjordan and Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union</span> Economic union and policies

The economic and monetary union (EMU) of the European Union is a group of policies aimed at converging the economies of member states of the European Union at three stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunei Darussalam Central Bank</span> Central Bank of Brunei

The Brunei Darussalam Central Bank, formerly known as Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam is the central bank of Brunei. It was established under the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam Order, 2010, and began operations on 1 January 2011. It succeeded the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board.

References

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  7. Bolton, Sally (10 December 2001). "History of currency unions". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  8. "History of Money in Malaysia: Colonial Notes & Coins". Bank Negara Malaysia. 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  9. Quah, C. H.; Ho, Y. J. (2020). "Economic Feasibility of Malaysia and Singapore-Brunei Monetary Reunion: A Scrutiny during Major Financial Crises". Applied Economics Journal. 27 (1): 23–51.
  10. Anguilla and Montserrat are members of OECS currency union, but not of the CSME.
  11. To all intents and purposes a monetary union. They are the last two nations whose dollars have remained at par and mutually interchangeable since the days when the Spanish Dollar was the united currency of large areas of the New World and Southeast Asia.
  12. alongside the ngultrum
  13. Not official, but freely used as a tender in Nepal, due to primarily the economic flux with India and also the instability caused by that country's civil war.
  14. Zacharia, Janine (2010-05-31). "Palestinian officials think about replacing Israeli shekel with Palestine pound". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  15. Cobham, David (2004-09-15). "Alternative currency arrangements for a new Palestinian state" (PDF). In David Cobham (ed.). The Economics of Palestine: Economic Policy and Institutional Reform for a Viable Palestine State. London: Routledge. ISBN   9780415327619 . Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  16. "Compact- Title 02 Article 05". www.fsmlaw.org.
  17. "Zimbabwe abandons its currency". 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
  18. EU Overseas countries and some other territories participate partially in the EU single market per part four of the Treaty Establishing the European Community Archived 2013-11-16 at the Wayback Machine ; Some EU Outermost regions and other territories use the Euro of the currency union, others are part of the customs union; some participate in both unions and some in neither.
    Territories of the United States, Australian External Territories and Realm of New Zealand territories share the currency and mostly also the market of their respective mainland state, but are generally not part of its customs territory.
  19. "European Union". Europa.eu. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  20. Asongu, Simplice; Nwachukwu, Jacinta; Tchamyou, Vanessa (2016-08-01). "A Literature Survey on Proposed African Monetary Unions" (PDF). Journal of Economic Surveys. 31 (3): 878–902. doi:10.1111/joes.12174. ISSN   1467-6419. S2CID   38454408.
  21. "A common currency at a later stage of Africa's economic integration". 30 November 2001.
  22. "Brazil and Argentina to begin preparations for common currency, Financial Times reports". Reuters. 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  23. 1 2 Bolton, Sally (10 December 2001). "A history of currency unions". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2012. France persuaded Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Greece
  24. Not currently on any political agenda, based mostly off conspiracy theories.

Further reading