In a competitive scenario for lower costs and higher productivity, devaluation against the Lempira Dollar in Honduras and the Cordoba Dollar in Nicaragua is a factor that could help these economies stay competitive.
In the last five years, the exchange rate in Honduras increased by 17%, from 21.06 Lempiras per U.S. dollar in June 2014 to 24.67 in the same month in 2019.
Following the Constitutional Chamber's judgment on the tax reform, the exchange rate in Costa Rica temporarily stopped rising, but it is expected to restart upward trend in the coming months.
According to figures from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), from mid-August to the first week of November, the Colon depreciated rapidly. However, after Fourth Chamber prepared the tax reform in Congress a few days ago, the dollar's price against the local currency stopped rising.
After the fast depreciation that the Costa Rican currency suffered weeks ago against the Dollar, in the last seven days the exchange rate has fallen from ¢629 to ¢615 per dollar.
Between August 16th and November 6th, the exchange rate in the wholesale market Monex registered an increase of 11%, rising from ¢567.97 to ¢628.81. However, since November 7th the price of the U.S.
With the purpose of "reducing pressures in the exchange market," the Central Bank of Costa Rica increased the interest rates of its term deposits as of November 7th.
With this increase in the interest rates of the Central Bank's deposit instruments, which is added to the one made last week, the entity seeks to foster savings in colones, particularly in instruments with longer terms.
The exchange rate began in November by recording ¢621 in the windows of some banks and ¢617 in the Monex wholesale market.
In accordance with reports since mid-August, the upward trend of the exchange rate in Costa Rica is not slowing down. According to data from the Central Bank, between August 16th and November 1st in the wholesale market Monex, the Colon has registered a depreciation in relation to the U.S.
In Costa Rica, the currency depreciation persists, with the exchange rate reaching ¢616 in the windows of some banks and ¢610 in the Monex wholesale market.
The increasing trend of the exchange rate in Costa Rica is not stopping. According to data from the Central Bank, between September 27 and October 30 in the wholesale market Monex the Colon has registered a considerable devaluation against the U.S.
The upward trend in recent weeks in the dollar's price against the Colon has slowed.
According to figures from the Central Bank (BCCR), the exchange rate on the Monex wholesale market increased between August 17th and October 11th, from ¢568.35 to ¢597.43 per dollar, equivalent to a depreciation of 5.12%.
However, the constant depreciation registered by the Colon started to be contained at the end of last week, since on October 12th the weighted average in the Monex wholesale market was ¢595.41. The BCCR reported yesterday that the exchange rate dropped to ¢594.56 and today to ¢594.24.
During this year, the Central Bank of Costa Rica has had to spend $1.1 billion of its reserves to participate in the exchange market and counteract the upward trend in the dollar price with respect to the Colon.
According to figures from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), from August 17 to October 12 the exchange rate in the wholesale market Monex has been increasing, going from ¢568.35 to ¢595.46 per dollar, which is equivalent to a depreciation of 4.76%. [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graph"]
The Costa Rican currency continues to depreciate, and the exchange rate in some Banks was already 600 Colones and more per dollar.
The upward trend of the exchange rate in Costa Rica has been observed in recent days. The Central Bank estimates that between September 27 and October 11, the exchange rate in the wholesale market Monex reported a clear upward trend, which is reflected in the increase from ¢570.75 to ¢597.43 per dollar, equivalent to a depreciation of 4.67%. [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
The exchange rate in the wholesale market Monex reported a clear upward trend during the first four days of the week in Costa Rica, increasing from ¢589.49 to almost ¢600 per dollar.
The Costa Rican currency depreciation against the U.S. dollar has been increasing in recent weeks, mainly due to the uncertainty over the fiscal situation and the greater perception of risk by investors and consumers, even though the tax reform law has already been approved in the first debate. The new law's future depends on the Constitutional Chamber, which must give its approval before being discussed and eventually approved in the second debate. See: "Tax reform: Partial Solution." [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
The impact of the strike, the uncertainty of the fiscal situation and the increased risk perception by investors and consumers, explain much of the depreciation that the Colon is suffering against the dollar in Costa Rica.
Figures from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) suggest that between September 27th and October 5th the exchange rate in the wholesale market Monex registered a significant upward trend, which is reflected in the increase from ¢570.75 to ¢591.25 per dollar, equivalent to a depreciation of 3.59%.
Even though the Central Bank of Costa Rica intervened yesterday selling $31 million in the foreign exchange market, at the end of the day the exchange rate in the Monex market stood at ¢585.8 per dollar.
According to figures from the Central Bank of Costa Rica, between September 25 and 26 the weighted average exchange rate in Monex rose from ¢579.54 to ¢581.76.This depreciation came a day after the government announced that with a "loan" of $866 million from the Central Bank, it would pay part of its current obligations for the last quarter of the year.See: "Clutching at Straws" in Costa Rica".
Uncertainty caused by the deteriorating fiscal situation and the economic slowdown are the reasons for the increase in the dollar exchange rate compared to the Colón, which has seen twelve days of consecutive increases.
According to Central Bank authorities, the depreciation of the local currency in relation to the US dollar is partially explained by the doubts generated by the deterioration of public finances and the absence, to date, of a legislative agreement to resolve at least part of the problem, all in the context of rising international interest rates.
After three months of relative stability, the price of the US currency compared to the Colón increased from ₡568 in mid-August to ₡571.6 at the end of the month.
Nacion.com reports that "...Although the variation is small, since it is only 0.64%, it breaks a stable period that was maintained from May 31 to August 14.In that period it remained very close to ¢568."
At a press conference and in the face of continued exchange rate hikes, a Central Bank executive in Costa Rica said that if the public wanted to continue buying dollars, they had billions there.
This morning on Thursday, May 25, the price of a dollar 600 colones at some bank windows surpassed, dropping back to 594 after an announcement by the Central Bank that it will intervene in the market with up to $1 billion.