米、中国の「為替操作国」解除　貿易合意を評価

　【ワシントン時事】米財務省は１３日、主要貿易相手国・地域の通貨政策を分析した半期為替報告書を発表し、中国が輸出で有利になるため意図的に通貨安を誘導しているとする「為替操作国」の認定を解除した。米中貿易協議で通貨安禁止を含む「第１段階の合意」に達したことを評価した。日本などとともに「監視国」の指定は残した。
　報告書は、中国が過去に人民元安を誘導してきたと指摘。ただ第１段階の合意を踏まえ、「競争的な切り下げを回避し、為替レートを競争目的にしない法的拘束力を伴う取り組みを行った」と判断。人民元相場の透明性向上にも同意したため、操作国認定を外したと説明した。（2020/01/14-07:42）

The U.S. Department of Treasury kept Japan and some other countries on its foreign exchange policy watch list in a semiannual report released on Monday.
   The U.S. department, meanwhile, removed the designation of China as a currency manipulator, after the world's two largest economies reached a "phase one" trade deal, which included a commitment by China to refrain from currency devaluation.
   The deal came after the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, last August labeled China a currency manipulator for the first time in 25 years.
   In the latest report on macroeconomic and foreign exchange polices of major trading partners of the United States, the foreign exchange monitoring list comprises Japan, China, South Korea, Germany and six others including Switzerland, which was put back on the list.
   The department called on Japan to reserve currency market intervention "only for very exceptional circumstances with prior consultations."