Behind the Headlines

Article Excerpt

The Canadian dollar is now trading at over $0.93 U.S., its highest level since September 1977. Its strength owes a lot to the rise in commodity prices, particularly metals and oil. Unlike many advanced countries, Canada is a major exporter of these and other commodities. When commodity prices rise, we get more foreign revenue for commodities we export. Buyers of our exports have to buy Canadian dollars to pay for them. This buying pushes the value of our dollar up, relative to other currencies. However, commodity prices are cyclical. The commodity boom will eventually wane and this source of upward pressure on our dollar will end. Of course, many other factors also influence the Canada/U.S. exchange rate. These include our economic growth, plus trends in interest rates. Rising inflation could lead to rising interest rates. This could push up the value of our dollar even further, as foreign capital moves into Canada to take advantage of higher yields. However, the rising dollar makes our exports more…