As shown in the statistics of the State Administration of ForeignExchange (SAFE), in July 2020, the amount of foreign exchange settlement andsales by banks was RMB 1206.8 billion and RMB 1224.5 billion, respectively,with a deficit of RMB 17.7 billion. In the US dollar terms，the amount of foreignexchange settlement and sales by banks was USD 172.2 billion and USD 174.7billion, respectively, with a deficit of USD 2.5 billion. In particular, theamount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks for customers was RMB 1085.2billion and RMB 1062.7 billion, respectively, with a settlement of RMB 22.5billion; the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales for banksthemselves was RMB 121.6 billion and RMB 161.8 billion, respectively, with a deficitof RMB 40.2 billion. During the period, newly signed contract amount of forwardforeign exchange settlement and sales was RMB 141.1 billion and RMB 81.7 billion,respectively, with a net newly signed contract amount of forward foreignexchange settlement of RMB 59.4 billion. At the end of July, outstanding amountof forward foreign exchange settlement and sales by the end of the current periodwas RMB 571.0 billion and RMB 464.5 billion, respectively, with a net outstandingamount of forward foreign exchange settlement of RMB 106.5 billion; the netDelta exposure of outstanding options was RMB -316.4 billion.
During January to July 2020, the accumulative amount of foreignexchange settlement and sales by banks was RMB 7909.3 billion and RMB 7373.9billion, with an accumulative settlement of RMB 535.3 billion. In the US dollarterms, the accumulative amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales bybanks was USD 1125.6 billion and USD 1049.6 billion, with an accumulativesettlement of USD 76.0 billion. In particular, the accumulative amount offoreign exchange settlement and sales by banks for customers was RMB 6781.2billion and RMB 6409.3 billion, respectively, with an accumulative settlementof RMB 371.9 billion; the accumulative amount of foreign exchange settlementand sales for banks themselves was RMB 1128.0 billion and RMB 964.6 billion,respectively, with an accumulative settlement of RMB 163.4 billion. During theperiod, newly signed contract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement andsales was RMB 945.1 billion and RMB 475.3 billion, respectively, with a net newlysigned contract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement of RMB 469.8 billion.
In July 2020, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-bankingsectors was RMB 2717.3 billion and RMB 2731.5 billion, respectively, with a deficitof RMB 14.2 billion. During January to July2020, the accumulative amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-bankingsectors was RMB 16243.2 billion and RMB 16173.3 billion, respectively, with an accumulativesurplus of RMB 69.8 billion.
In the US dollar terms, in July 2020, the amount of cross-border receiptsand payments by non-banking sectors was USD 387.7 billion and USD 389.7billion, respectively, with a deficit of USD 2.0 billion. During January to July 2020, the accumulative amount of cross-borderreceipts and payments by non-banking sectors was USD 2311.2 billion and USD 2301.4billion, respectively, with an accumulative surplus of USD 9.7 billion.
In addition, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange revisedthe data on cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors fromJanuary to June 2020 based on the latest data, and released it through the “Dataand Statistics” section of the official website of the State Administration ofForeign Exchange.
Addendum: Glossaryand relevant definitions
Balance of payments(BOP) refers to all economic transactionsbetween residents and non-residents.
Foreignexchange settlement and sales by banks refers to settlement and sale transaction that bank executes for customersand for the banks themselves, including statistic data onsettlements of forward contracts for foreign exchange settlementand sales and the exercises of option, and excludingthe transactions in the interbank foreign exchange market. The statistic reporting date of Foreign exchangesettlement and sales by banks should be the trade day of theForeignexchange settlement and sales transaction. By definition, foreignexchange settlement means foreign exchange holders sell foreignexchange to designated foreign exchange bank, and foreignexchange sales means designated bank sells foreign exchange to foreign exchange buyers. The net position of foreign exchange settlement andforeign exchange sales could be position squared throughtransactions on the inter-bank foreign exchange market, and it is one ofthe major contributors to the country’sforeign exchange reserve fluctuation, though it is not equal to netchange in foreign exchange reserves during the same period
Unlikethe principle of balance-of-payments statistics, which cover the transactionsbetween residents and non-residents, foreign exchange settlement and sales bybanks only cover transactions of RMB and foreign currencies between banks and customers or on banks for themselves.
Thenewly signed contract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to the binding forward contract between designated foreignexchange bank and client that predetermines foreign exchange currency, amount,exchange rate and tenor which to be executed upon maturity. Thenewly signed forward contract enables corporate to lock inadvance the exchange rate for the purchase or sale of a currency on a futuredate to manage relevant foreign exchange risk arising fromRMB volatility. In general, bank will hedge its foreign exchange risk exposures arise from the newly signed forward contract in the Interbank foreign exchange market. For example,when bank has net foreign exchange long position, bankwill short the equivalent amount of foreign exchange in the Interbank foreignexchange market in advance, or vice versa. Therefore, the newly signedcontract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales is also one of contributors to China’s foreign exchange reserve fluctuation.
Theunwind amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to, where client is unable to perform the original forwardcontract due to change in its real demand, client to fully or partially closeits forward position by executing another deal with opposite direction to theoriginal contract.
Therolling amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to client to adjust the settlement date of original contract dueto change in its real demand.
Theoutstanding amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales by the endof the current period refers to the total amount of forwardcontracts accumulated from all non-matured forward contracts with client. Thenewly signed contractamount and the outstanding amount should satisfy the equationthat: theoutstanding amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales by the endof the current period = theoutstanding amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales at the endof the previous period + the newly signed contract amount of forward foreignexchange settlement and sales for the period - settlements of forwardcontracts for foreign exchange settlement and sales for the period - the unwindamount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales for the period.
The net Deltaexposure of outstanding options refers to the implied foreignexchange spot risk exposure from outstanding option contracts that bank executedwith client. Bank shall hedge such risk in the foreign exchange market for risk management during deal life cycle.
The cross-borderreceipts and payments bynon-banking sectors refers to the receipts andpayments between domestic non-banking sectors (including institutional and individual residents)and non-residentsthrough domestic banks, excluding receipts and payments in cash. In particular,the statisticsincludescross-border receipts and payments between non-banking sectors andnon-residents through domestic banks (including RMB and foreign currency), and domesticreceipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents throughdomestic banks (temporarily excluding domestic receipts and payments in RMBbetween individual residents and non-resident individuals). Data are collected whencustomers conduct receipts and payments with non-resident counterparties atdomestic banks. Specifically, the receipts refer to the capitalof non-bankingsectors received fromnon-residents via domestic banks; the payments refer to the capitalof non-bankingsectors paid to non-residents via domestic banks.
Thecross-border receipts and payments bynon-banking sectors is basedon cash basis, different from the accrual basis required by the Balance of Payments Statistics. The statistics merely reflectsthe cash flows between non-bankingsectors and non-residents and doesnot include barter transactions or transactions with non-residents conducted by the banks themselves. Therefore, the scope of the statistics is narrower than thatof the Balance of Payments Statistics.
