US Treasury: China Still Not Manipulating RMB

In its semiannual report to Congress, the US Treasury Department once again did not cite China as a currency manipulator. For as long as the Forex Blog has been covering this issue, various interest groups have been pressing the Bush administration on this issue, since the label of currency manipulator would entitle Congress to level punitive trade sanctions. The premise of their argument remains that an artificially cheap RMB is responsible for the decline of the US manufacturing sector and the burgeoning trade deficit, which topped $250 Billion in 2007.

The Treasury Department, under the leadership of Henry Paulson, insists that the best way to handle the situation is through dialog. In its report, it noted that the RMB has already appreciated over 18% since China’s government revalued it in 2004. However, with the Presidential election looming, the RMB could become a major political issue. Already, both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama have announced their intention to co-sponsor a bill that would impose trade sanctions on countries (i.e. China) that are deemed to undervalue their currency. In the end, politicians will continue to whine in vain to appease their constituents, and the RMB will continue climbing at its brisk, current pace of 7% per year.
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