The Mexican Peso Crisis: The Foreseeable and the Surprise (2024)

Research

June 1, 1995

  • 2 min read

Abstract

The financial debacle that followed the Mexican devaluation in December 1994 left many analysts, investors and observers bewildered by its magnitude. This paper argues that the causes of the devaluation are quite different from the causes of the crisis, so different that the financial crisis was partly caused by the devaluation itself. The devaluation was caused—primarily—by the fiscal and monetary policies followed during 1994. If the government’s primary concern was to maintain the existing exchange rate policy (i.e., avoid a discrete change in the exchange rate), both the fiscal and monetary policies were more expansionary than they should have been. But, why did the devaluation turn into a financial crisis? Contrary to what most analysts predicted, far from calming the markets the devaluation resulted in a financial crisis with significant spillover effects on other countries particularly in Latin America. The December devaluation triggered a financial crisis because foreign investors felt tricked and feared a default. Investors were angry for a very simple reason. The devaluation and its mishandling caused them substantial losses. Part of the investors’ disappointment arose from the perception, which turned out to be correct, that the fiscal and monetary policies pursued by the government in 1994 were ultimately inconsistent with the exchange rate rule. Another important contributing factor to the debacle of the peso was the replacement of almost the entire short-term government debt from peso-denominated to dollar-denominated instruments (the Tesobonos) because it vastly increased the risk of default. Finally, the lack of competence and the absence of a coherent plan at the time the devaluation was announced, added significantly to the climate of uncertainty.

See Also
Mexican Peso

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The Mexican Peso Crisis: The Foreseeable and the Surprise (2024)

FAQs

What caused the Mexican peso crisis? ›

Speculators began recognizing that the peso was artificially overvalued and led to speculative capital flight that further reinforced downward market pressure on the peso. Mexico's central bank deviated from standard central banking policy when it fixed the peso to the dollar in 1988.

What was the main trigger for the Mexican peso crisis in the mid-1990s? ›

Key Takeaways

The Tequila Crisis began on Dec. 20, 1994 when the Mexican peso was devalued, causing a global currency crisis and resulting in a $50 billion IMF bailout to Mexico's economy. Both domestic and international economic factors, along with political forces helped precipitate the crisis.

Why did Mexico devalue the peso in 1982? ›

When its ability to obtain foreign exchange weakened, Mexico was forced to increase its foreign debt simply to meet obligations from past financial arrangements. Pressure on the Mexican Government to encourage exports and dis- courage imports increased, and the peso was devalued in February 1982.

Why is the US dollar losing value against the Mexican peso? ›

The main factor in this relentless long-term depreciation is the loss of productivity in Mexico relative to the US. In addition, we show that the extraordinary liquidity supplied by the US during the 2008 crisis caused the Mexican peso to appreciate against the dollar.

Is the Mexican peso backed by anything? ›

Crude Oil. The Mexican peso often moves with energy prices because Mexico's oil reserves provide collateral for financing. The money from borrowing allows the Mexican government to obtain funds for domestic spending programs.

Why is the Mexican peso getting so strong? ›

High interest-rate differentials relative to the U.S. have also contributed to the peso appreciation. The Mexican peso has gained around 18 percent against the dollar in the past two years. A sustained appreciation of the peso boosts the relative cost of exports and reduces the cost of imports and could slow growth.

Who wanted to help Mexico in the Mexican peso crisis? ›

At this point, the government decided to devalue the peso 15 percent, to about four pesos per dollar. However, within days Mexico abandoned the new peg and the peso plummeted, sinking the country into a fi- nancial crisis that led it to seek aid from the interna- tional community, especially the United States.

Why is the peso getting weaker? ›

The Mexican peso weakened to about 20 per U.S. dollar on Thursday, reaffirming its swift fall from grace after investors dumped carry trades amid concerns about political upheaval in the U.S.'s southern neighbor. Just a few months ago, the peso was riding high.

When did the peso lose its value? ›

On December 20, 1994, the government of Mexico announced the devaluation of its currency, surprising financial markets and precipitating the so-called Mexican peso crisis.

Do old Mexican pesos still have value? ›

Examples of present-day values

a $100,000 peso note dating back to 1991 is exchangeable today for a current-day $100 peso note; $1 and $5 peso notes dating back to pre-1975 are worth fractions of a Mexican cent and are now no more than museum pieces and collectors' items.

How much was the US dollar to the Mexican peso in 1985? ›

The peso plunged to more than 350 to the dollar in 1985 from about 23 to the dollar in 1980. But that decline in value was just the beginning. It went on to trade at more than 3,000 to the dollar before the Mexican government in 1993 issued new pesos and simply wiped out three digits from the exchange rate.

What does the tequila effect indicate? ›

The Tequila effect refers to the negative impact on the Mexican economy, particularly the devaluation of the Mexican peso, as a result of the 1997 financial crisis in Asia that originated in Thailand and spread to other countries in the region.

Which is the strongest currency in the world? ›

1. Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) The Kuwaiti dinar is the strongest currency in the world, with 1 Kuwaiti dinar buying 274.40 Indian rupees (or, put another way, INR 1 equals 0.003 Kuwaiti dinars). Kuwait is located between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

What's the highest the Mexican peso has ever been? ›

The highest Mexican peso to US dollars rate was on April 9, 2024 when 1 Mexican peso was worth 0.0612 US dollar.

Is the Mexican peso strong right now? ›

US Dollar to Mexican Peso Exchange Rate is at a current level of 19.33, up from 19.24 the previous market day and up from 17.09 one year ago. This is a change of 0.47% from the previous market day and 13.08% from one year ago.

What was the main cause of the Mexican war? ›

The immediate cause of the Mexican-American War was a disputed boundary between the United States and Texas on the Nueces Strip. Mexico did not recognize Texas as legitimate American territory and Texas admission to the United States antagonized Mexican officials and citizens.

What was the main causes of the Mexican revolution? ›

The economic policies of Porfirio Díaz, unequal distribution of land, deeply entrenched economic inequality, and undemocratic institutions were the major causes of the revolution.

What was a major reason for the rapid rise in Mexican foreign debt? ›

One was the higher level of interest rates in the United States, which increased the opportunity cost of lending to Mexico. The other was the fall in the oil price, which was a crucial source of revenue for the government, in particular to make debt payments in dollars.

Why did the peso lose value in 1994? ›

The simple explanation of this collapse was that the peso had become overvalued during the period 1987-94, as shown in Table 7-1; the Banco de México spent most of its dollar reserves supporting the peso, and when it ran out of reserves the value of the peso plummeted.

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