Hong Kong staunchly defends dollar peg even as property market falters

Authority steps in 49 times against short sellers in system out of sync with economy

20231116N HK dollar 1

Hong Kong's financial authorities have gone into overdrive to prop up the value of the Hong Kong dollar. © Reuters

KENSAKU IHARA and PEGGY YE, Nikkei staff writers

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong authorities are fighting an increasingly uphill battle to defend the currency peg to the U.S. dollar, intervening 49 times over a 12-month period to keep the Hong Kong dollar within the official trading band.

The Hong Kong dollar's trading range is set between 7.75 and 7.85 against the greenback. Whenever the currency touches the lower end of the band, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority steps in to buy the local currency, driving up the cost for the de facto central bank.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.