Currency devaluation


Currency devaluation

A deliberate downward adjustment in the official exchange rates established, or pegged, by a government against a specified standard, such as another currency or gold.

Devaluation

The active decision of a government to reduce the value of its own currency vis a vis other currencies. Devaluation occurs exclusively in fixed currencies, when the currency in question is pegged to another currency. Governments devalue their own currencies to make their exports less expensive in foreign markets. If a company exports its products for the same price in the local (devalued) currency, it is cheaper for consumers to buy those products in their own currency. See also: Depreciation.