Despite Government Measures, Iraqi Dinar Continues to Fall against USD

The Governor of the Central Bank speaks before the Parliamentary Finance Committee about the exchange rate. (Iraq News Agency)
The Governor of the Central Bank speaks before the Parliamentary Finance Committee about the exchange rate. (Iraq News Agency)
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Despite Government Measures, Iraqi Dinar Continues to Fall against USD

The Governor of the Central Bank speaks before the Parliamentary Finance Committee about the exchange rate. (Iraq News Agency)
The Governor of the Central Bank speaks before the Parliamentary Finance Committee about the exchange rate. (Iraq News Agency)

The Iraqi dinar continued to fall against the US dollar, despite the government’s vigorous measures. This decline negatively affected commercial transactions in most of the wholesale markets in Baghdad and the provinces.

On Monday, the exchange rate reached IQD 1,540 to the dollar in the parallel market, compared to IQD 1,320 to the dollar in the official currency auction approved by the Central Bank.

A wholesaler in the Shorja commercial souk in Baghdad told Asharq Al-Awsat that the market was witnessing a great stagnation, adding that the movement of buying and selling has declined recently due to the fluctuating exchange rates.

He noted that traders are worried that the Iraqi dinar would continue to fall against the dollar, touching the ceiling of IQD 1,700 for one dollar, as happened at the beginning of 2023, thus contributing to the rise of commodity prices and basic materials.

The trader did not rule out that the recent US sanctions on 14 Iraqi banks and the central bank’s ban on dealing with them in dollars was behind the new exchange crisis, although the central bank is pumping more money into the currency auction.

Last week, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 14 Iraqi banks in a crackdown on Iran’s dealings in dollars.

The Wall Street Journal quoted US officials as saying they were taking action against the banks after uncovering information that they engaged in money laundering and fraudulent transactions, some of which may have involved sanctioned individuals and raised concerns that Iran could be benefitting from the dealings.

The continuous decline in the exchange rates of the dinar against the dollar prompted Prime Minister Mohammad al-Sudani to meet with the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali al-Alaq, on Sunday, in the presence of financial advisors and the director general of investment in the bank.

According to a statement, al-Sudani was briefed on “clarifications about the most important facilitations provided by the Central Bank, which include allowing small merchants and individuals to finance their imports without the need to establish a company, through government and private banks that have direct relations with correspondent banks.”

Participants in the meeting also emphasized the need to maintain the compensation for citizens and companies who buy dollars at the unofficial rate.

During the meeting, al-Alaq revealed “the bank’s intention to resume selling cash dollars through licensed banks in Nineveh governorate.”



OPEC Again Cuts 2024, 2025 Oil Demand Growth Forecasts

The OPEC logo. Reuters
The OPEC logo. Reuters
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OPEC Again Cuts 2024, 2025 Oil Demand Growth Forecasts

The OPEC logo. Reuters
The OPEC logo. Reuters

OPEC cut its forecast for global oil demand growth this year and next on Tuesday, highlighting weakness in China, India and other regions, marking the producer group's fourth consecutive downward revision in the 2024 outlook.

The weaker outlook highlights the challenge facing OPEC+, which comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, which earlier this month postponed a plan to start raising output in December against a backdrop of falling prices.

In a monthly report on Tuesday, OPEC said world oil demand would rise by 1.82 million barrels per day in 2024, down from growth of 1.93 million bpd forecast last month. Until August, OPEC had kept the outlook unchanged since its first forecast in July 2023.

In the report, OPEC also cut its 2025 global demand growth estimate to 1.54 million bpd from 1.64 million bpd, Reuters.

China accounted for the bulk of the 2024 downgrade. OPEC trimmed its Chinese growth forecast to 450,000 bpd from 580,000 bpd and said diesel use in September fell year-on-year for a seventh consecutive month.

"Diesel has been under pressure from a slowdown in construction amid weak manufacturing activity, combined with the ongoing deployment of LNG-fuelled trucks," OPEC said with reference to China.

Oil pared gains after the report was issued, with Brent crude trading below $73 a barrel.

Forecasts on the strength of demand growth in 2024 vary widely, partly due to differences over demand from China and the pace of the world's switch to cleaner fuels.

OPEC is still at the top of industry estimates and has a long way to go to match the International Energy Agency's far lower view.

The IEA, which represents industrialised countries, sees demand growth of 860,000 bpd in 2024. The agency is scheduled to update its figures on Thursday.

- OUTPUT RISES

OPEC+ has implemented a series of output cuts since late 2022 to support prices, most of which are in place until the end of 2025.

The group was to start unwinding the most recent layer of cuts of 2.2 million bpd from December but said on Nov. 3 it will delay the plan for a month, as weak demand and rising supply outside the group maintain downward pressure on the market.

OPEC's output is also rising, the report showed, with Libyan production rebounding after being cut by unrest. OPEC+ pumped 40.34 million bpd in October, up 215,000 bpd from September. Iraq cut output to 4.07 million bpd, closer to its 4 million bpd quota.

As well as Iraq, OPEC has named Russia and Kazakhstan as among the OPEC+ countries which pumped above quotas.

Russia's output edged up in October by 9,000 bpd to about 9.01 million bpd, OPEC said, slightly above its quota.