Currency Exchange Controls

Currency exchange controls are government restrictions that limit its citizens’ ability to purchase foreign currencies and limit purchases of the home currency from abroad.

Also known as foreign exchange controls, these restrictions are normally applied to restrict capital flow in countries with a partially convertible currency.

This tool is generally implemented to protect the economy by preventing capital flight.

Currency controls are usually seen in vulnerable countries that lack the stability and infrastructure to support the free flow of foreign exchange.

Freely convertible currencies including the U.S. dollar, euro, and Japanese yen have no controls at all.

However, almost all exotic currencies are subject to foreign exchange controls. For example:

China, the second-largest economy in the world, runs various controls over its currency, the yuan renminbi, despite it now being part of the basket of reserve currencies.
The Brazilian real is a non-convertible currency, meaning that the currency cannot leave the country. It is not traded on the foreign exchange market.

In the context of free trade, the value of currencies fluctuates continuously according to the dynamics of demand and supply. In order to limit the volatility of their exchange rate and provide greater economic stability to their countries, central banks may implement foreign exchange controls.

In the case of weaker economies, the main objective of foreign exchange controls is to avoid speculation with their currencies. Such speculation could otherwise cause significant variations in the exchange rate, potentially triggering capital flows with devastating economic consequences for the country.

These are the most common currency controls:

Banning or limiting purchases of foreign currency within the country
Banning or restricting the use of foreign currency within the country
Setting exchange rates (instead of letting the value of the currency fluctuate according to market forces)
Restricting currency exchange to retailers approved by the government
Limiting the amount of money that may be imported or exported

Currency controls are a challenge for international companies as they hinder their ability to trade in local currencies.

These restrictions often entail further processing efforts for the company and increase the costs of FX operations and cross-border payments.

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