In the section From the Chief Editor
Title of the article World Money in Time and Space: A Blow to the Dollar or a Blow by the Dollar?
Pages 7-33
Author 1 Pavel Aleksandrovich Minakir
Academician RAS, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Research Supervisor
Economic Research Institute FEB RAS
153 Tikhookeanskaya St., Khabarovsk, 680042, Russian Federation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ORCID: 0000-0002-5451-5662
Author 2 Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Izotov
Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Leading Research Fellow
Economic Research Institute FEB RAS
153 Tikhookeanskaya St., Khabarovsk, 680042, Russian Federation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9199-6226
Abstract Theoretical and practical aspects of the problem of functioning of the world’s means of payment and accumulation are discussed. It is shown that the US dollar is one of the specific forms of world money along with other ‘dominant’ currencies due to its function as a reliable asset for other countries, requiring for the issuing country exceptionally strong national institutions and confidence in this national currency, the American currency is also the universal equivalent in international settlements and the world’s means of payment, accumulation and medium of circulation. It is determined that the Russian ruble is ‘commodity’ currency but not the ‘dominant’ currency, and its share in international settlements is almost imperceptible. It is shown that, other things being equal, the American currency will continue to flow into Russia, since the export of Russian raw materials is traded on the world market mainly in dollars. It was revealed that the strategy for de-dollarization of the Russian economy did not contribute to the displacement of the dollar from payments for exports from Russia, with a noticeable increase in the share of the euro in payments. It was found that the transition in Russia’s settlements from China to national currencies was not carried out, and the EAEU countries remained the only ruble zone in settlements for Russia. It is shown that Russia’s attempt to switch to settlements exclusively in rubles is tantamount to creating an exclusive money circulation system for a small country, which, within the framework of the ‘dominant’ currencies paradigm, shows its limitations. The risks for the Russian economy as a result of its isolation from the system of international settlements in dollars and euros are formulated as part of the current sanctions by developed countries
Code 336+339
JEL F52, G15, H12
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.14530/se.2022.1.007-033
Keywords global foreign exchange ♦ international trade ♦ dominant currency ♦ commodity currency ♦ exchange rate ♦ dedollarization ♦ ruble ♦ dollar ♦ euro ♦ yuan ♦ sanctions ♦ Russia ♦ USA ♦ Eurozone ♦ China
Download SE.2022.1.007-033.Minakir.pdf
For citation Minakir P.A., Izotov D.A. World Money in Time and Space: A Blow to the Dollar or a Blow by the Dollar? Prostranstvennaya Ekonomika = Spatial Economics, 2022, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 7–33.https://dx.doi.org/10.14530/se.2022.1.007-033 (In Russian)
References 1. Barsky R., Easton M. The Global Saving Glut and the Fall in U.S. Real Interest Rates: A 15-Year Retrospective. Economic Perspectives, 2021, issue 1, pp. 1–15. https://doi.org/10.21033/ep-2021-1
2. Bettendorf T., Heinlein R. Connectedness between G10 Currencies: Searching for the Causal Structure. Deutsche Bundesbank Discussion Paper No. 06/2019, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3337431
3. Boz E., Casas C., Georgiadis G., Gopinath G., Le Mezo H., Mehl A., Nguyen T. Patterns in Invoicing Currency in Global Trade. ECB. Working Paper Series No. 2456, 2020, 38 p. Available at: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecb.wp2456~540fd64604.en.pdf (accessed January 2022).
4. Butrin D., Shapovalov A. Not a Dollar, but a Guide to Action. Kommersant [Businessman], 2018, 3 October. Available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3759654 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
5. Currency Structure of Payments for the Supply of Goods and Services under Foreign Trade Agreements. Bank of Russia, 2021. Available at: http://www.cbr.ru/statistics/macro_itm/svs/ (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
6. Features and Prospects of the ‘Bretton Woods System 2.0’. Russian Economic School, 2021. Available at: https://guru.nes.ru/osobennosti-i-perspektivyi-%C2%ABbretton-vudskoj-sistemyi-2.0%C2%BB-konspekt-lekczii-olega-iczxoki.html/ (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
7. Fisher I. The Purchasing Power of Money. Moscow, 2001, 320 p. (In Russian).
8. Foreign Exchange Turnover in April 2019. BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey, 2019, 21 p. Available at: https://www.bis.org/statistics/rpfx19_fx.pdf#page=15 (accessed January 2022).
9. Friedman М. A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960. Kiev, 2007, 880 p. (In Russian).
10. Global Liquidity Indicators. BIS, 2022. Available at: https://stats.bis.org/statx/toc/GLI.html (accessed January 2022).
11. Gopinath G., Itskhoki O. Dominant Currency Paradigm: A Review. NBER. Working Paper 29556, 2021, 55 p. https://doi.org/10.3386/w29556
12. Gopinath G., Itskhoki O., Rigobon R. Currency Choice and Exchange Rate Pass-Through. American Economic Review, 2010, vol. 100, no. 1, pp. 304–336. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.1.304
13. Gourinchas P.-O. The Dollar Hegemon? Evidence and Implications for Policy Makers. The 6th Asian Monetary Policy Forum. Singapore, 2019, 18 p. Available at: https://www.mas.gov.sg/-/media/MAS/EPG/AMPF/2019/AMPF2019---Commissioned-Paper-Discussant-Slides---Ricardo-Caballero.pdf?la=en&hash=62D2BD2D0C00D43AE3ADD314C1408BDCDBF88A3B (accessed January 2022).
14. Ilzetzki E., Reinhart C.M., Rogoff K.S. Exchange Arrangements Entering the Twenty-First Century: Which Anchor will Hold? The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2019, vol. 134, issue 2, pp. 599–646.
15. International Reserves of the Russian Federation. Bank of Russia, 2022. Available at: https://www.cbr.ru/hd_base/mrrf/mrrf_7d/ (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
16. Itskhoki O. Currency Crisis of 2014–2015. Vedomosti [Vedomosti], 2015, 12 January. Available at: https://www.vedomosti.ru/opinion/news/38130981/valyutnyj-krizis-20142015-gg?full#cut (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
17. Keynes J. The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Moscow, 2021, 448 p. (In Russian).
18. Kireu E., Movchan A. Ruble Formula. How to Calculate the Exchange Rate of the Russian Currency at Any Time. Carnegie Moscow Center, 2017. Available at: https://carnegie.ru/commentary/73225 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
19. Koshkina Yu. Analysts Assessed the Contribution of the Threat of Sanctions to the Ruble Weakening. RBK [RBC], 2020, 8 September. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/finances/08/09/2020/5f565b349a79476d75b6bb4a (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
20. Mavrina L., Podlinova A. The Ministry of Finance will Support De-Dollarization with Economic Incentives. Vedomosti [Vedomosti], 2021, 8 June. Available at: https://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/articles/2021/06/07/873297-minfin-dedollarizatsiyu (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
21. Mitchell W.F., Mosler W.B. Essential Elements of a Modern Monetary Economy with Applications to Social Security Privatisation and the Intergenerational Debate. Centre of Full Employment and Equity. Working Paper No. 05-0, 2005, 20 p. Available at: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.532.9727&rep=rep1&type=pdf (accessed January 2022).
22. Mukhin D. An Equilibrium Model of the International Price System. American Economic Review, 2022, vol. 112, issue 2, pp. 650–688.
23. Nazarova K., Tkachev I. The Dollar’s Share in Paying for Exports from Russia to China Fell below 50% for the First Time. RBK [RBC], 2019, 26 July. Available At: https://www.rbc.ru/economics/26/07/2019/5d39ad439a79477f145b23b0 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
24. Statistics. UNCTAD, 2022. Available at: https://unctad.org/statistics (accessed January 2022).
25. The Russian Authorities will Classify the Plan to Fight the Dollar. Vedomosti [Vedomosti], 2018, 15 October. Available at: https://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/news/2018/10/15/783672-plan-borbi-s-dollarom/ (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
26. Tkachev I. The EU Announced its Intention to Freeze Half of the Reserves of the Bank of Russia. RBK [RBC], 2022a, 28 February. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/economics/28/02/2022/621bdf199a79471a97bc53cb (accessed February 2022). (In Russian).
27. Tkachev I. The West Freezes the External Assets of the Central Bank. RBK [RBC], 2022b, 27 February. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/newspaper/2022/02/28/621a5d149a7947339ae7351c (accessed February 2022). (In Russian).
28. Tkachev I., Sukhorukova E., Galcheva A. The Central Bank for the First Time Revealed the Scale of Trade with Turkey in Rubles. RBK [RBC], 2019, 30 October. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/economics/29/10/2019/5db7081e9a79477654969b28 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
29. Triennial Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Over-the-Counter (OTC) Derivatives Markets in 2019. BIS, 2019. Available at: https://www.bis.org/statistics/rpfx19.htm?m=6_381_677 (accessed January 2022).
30. USD/RUB – US Dollar Russian Ruble, 2022. Available at: https://www.investing.com/currencies/usd-rub-historical-data (accessed January 2022).
31. Vanderlint J. Money Answers All Things; Or, an Essay to Make Money Sufficiently Plentiful Amongst all Ranks of People. London, 1734. Available at: https://ota.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repository/xmlui/bitstream/handle/20.500.12024/3187/3187.html?sequence=6&isAllowed=y (accessed January 2022).
32. Vinogradova E., Degotkova I. A Guide to Sanctions and Restrictions Against Russia. Main. RBK [RBC], 2022, 28 February. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/business/28/02/2022/621a20109a79471f8295dade?#chapter_1 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
33. Visloguzov V. ‘Unfriendly’ Currency was Removed from the National Welfare Fund. Kommersant [Businessman], 2021, 7 July. Available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4889391 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
34. What do Economists Think about the ‘Dedollarization Plan’. Kommersant [Businessman], 2018, 3 October. Available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3759644 (accessed January 2022). (In Russian).
35. World Economic Outlook Database. IMF, 2021. Available at: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2021/April (accessed January 2022).
Submitted 04.03.2022
Approved after reviewing 14.03.2022
Accepted for publication 16.03.2022
Available online 30.03.2022

ISSN (Print) 1815-9834
ISSN (Online) 2587-5957

Minakir Pavel Aleksandrovich,

Journal’s Founder

 

Artem Isaev
Editor-in-Chief
Tel.: +7 (4212) 725-225
Fax: +7 (4212) 225-916
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Samokhina Lyudmila
Executive Editor
Tel.: +7 (4212) 725-230
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Editors
Tel.: +7 (4212) 725-230
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 
To Editorial Staff of “Spatial Economics”
Economic Research Institute FEB RAS
153 Tikhookeanskaya St., Khabarovsk, RUSSIA, 680042

 

 

Creative Commons License
Unless otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License