Japan touts G20 reaffirmation of forex commitments as key achievement
Adds talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary in paragraphs 8-10
By Makiko Yamazaki
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 26 (Reuters) -Japan sees the reaffirmation in the latest G20 joint communique of existing commitments against excessive foreign exchange volatility as one of the major achievements, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Friday.
"We believe there were major achievements at G20, such as the inclusionof the reaffirmed foreign exchange commitmentsin the joint communique," Suzuki said, speaking at a press conference after the Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
The commitments say the G20 major economies recognize that excessive volatility or disorderly movements in exchange rates can have adverse implications for economic and financial stability.
In the same press conference, Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda said that Japan pushed for the inclusion of the commitments in the communique as their absence "could give a misleading message to the market."
While a weak yen gives exports a boost, it has become a source of concern for policymakers by pushing up the cost of imports and hurting consumption.
The yen rallied sharply this week, rebounding from 38-year lows hit earlier this month, as market participants unwound their long-held bets against the currency ahead of a Bank of Japan (BOJ)meeting next week.
Some politicians have recently called on the BOJ to offer more clarity on its rate hike plan partly to prevent the yen from testing fresh lows against the dollar.
Suzuki said he met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on the sidelines of the G20 meeting on Friday.
They discussed "wide-ranging topics including Russia, taxation and markets," according to Kanda, who briefed reporters on the bilateral meeting.
Asked if foreign exchange was included in the talks on markets, Kanda confirmed it was on agenda, but noted that it was just an extension of two countries' routine communications and did not mean there were any major issues that needed to be addressed.
Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; editing by Diane Craft and Stephen Coates
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
