Balance of Payments
Definition A record of all transactions leading to international trade.
Exports- Goods and services sold abroad. Imports- Goods and services bought abroad.
Visible Trade The trade of physical goods. Balance of Trade- The difference between visible exports and visible imports.
Busiest ports in the world 1. Shanghai 2. Singapore 3. Hong Kong 4. Shenzen 5. Busan 6. Ningbo-Zoushan 7. Guangzhou 8. Quingdao
Invisible Trade The trade of services.
Balance of Payments The current account- The part of the balance of payments where all of the imports and exports are recorded. It includes both visible and invisible trade.
Current Account Goods Services Income Current transfers- currency received with nothing received as a return.
Capital Account Records the flow of money into and out of a country from transactions resulting to savings, investment and speculation.
The effects of a current account deficit An increase in external debt. A rise in unemployment Downward pressure on the exchange rate. Structural weakness- lack of investment.
The effects of a current account surplus Rising employment rates. Foreign currency reserves Domestic shortages if too many goods are sold abroad.
A rising exchange rate will raise the price of exports which may affect demand in the future. A country with very high surplus means other countries will have a deficit. This could lead to international instability.
The Government Governments prefer an equal balance of payments. They may take steps to ensure this. Import Tariffs Devaluing Currency