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Release at 8:15 a.m. EST
Ottawa, January 6, 2004
2004-001

Official International Reserves

- Official International Reserves 2004 -


The Department of Finance announced today that Canada’s official international reserves increased by an amount equivalent to US$175 million during December to US$36,268 million.

Details on the level and composition of Canada’s reserves as of December 31, 2003, as well as the major factors underlying the change in reserves, are provided below. All figures are in millions of US dollars unless otherwise noted.


Foreign Currency Reserves

Securities

29,421

Deposits

  2,116

Total securities and deposits (liquid reserves)

31,537

Gold1

45

Special drawing rights (SDRs)

838

Reserve position in the IMF

  3,848

Total:

December 31, 2003

36,268

November 30, 2003

36,093
Net change 175

Details on Deposits

Other central banks/Bank for International Settlements

615

Banks headquartered in Canada

0

  Of which: located abroad

0

Banks headquartered abroad

1,501

  Of which: located in Canada

300 _____
Total 2,116

Details of Net Change

Reserves management operations2

-724

Gains and losses on gold sales

-1

Net investment gains and losses

Return on investments3

241

Foreign currency debt charges

-183

Revaluation effects4

842

Net government operations5

0

Official intervention

0

Other transactions

     0
Net change 175

Currency Composition of Deposits and Securities

US dollars

15,576

Euro

14,906

Yen

1,047

Other

         8

Total

31,537

Predetermined Short-Term Drains on Foreign Currency Reserves (Nominal Value)6

0-1
month
1-3
months
3-12
months
Total

Foreign currency securities7 Principal -1,460 -1,030 -4,991 -7,481
Interest -65 -128 -1,017 -1,210
Aggregate short forward positions in foreign currencies vis-à-vis Canadian dollar 0 0 0 0
Aggregate long forward positions in foreign currencies vis-à-vis Canadian dollar 0 0 0 0
Total net drains -1,525 -1,158 -6,008 -8,691

Additional Information (Nominal Value)

Undrawn, unconditional credit lines with
banks headquartered outside Canada
6,000

Securities lent under repurchase agreements8 -1,682

Securities held under repurchase agreements9 361

Financial derivatives assets (net, marked to market)

Forwards 0

Swaps 240


Notes:

1. Sales of 63,993 ounce of gold settled in December. On December 31, gold holdings stood at 0.1 million ounces. The valuation is based on the December 31, 2003, London a.m. fix of US$417.25 per ounce.

2. Net change in securities and deposits resulting from foreign currency funding activities of the Government. (Issuance of foreign currency liabilities used to acquire assets increases reserves, while maturities decrease reserves). During December Canada bills increased by US$76 million to a level of outstanding bills of US$1,652 million. A total of US$800 million in cross-currency swaps matured in December.

3. "Return on investments" comprises US$97 million of interest earned on investments and a US$144-million increase in the market value of securities resulting from changes in interest rates.

4. "Revaluation effects" reflect changes in the market value of reserve assets resulting from movements in exchange rates (primarily an appreciation of the euro against the US dollar in this case).

5. "Net government operations" are the net purchases of foreign currency for government foreign exchange requirements and for additions to reserves.

6. Predetermined short-term drains include the Government’s contractual obligations in foreign currencies related to payments of principal and interest associated with securities and commitments under swaps and forward contracts coming due during the next 12 months.

7. "Foreign currency securities" include maturities of foreign currency debt, cross-currency swap payments and an estimate of interest payments on foreign currency liabilities.

8. "Securities lent under repurchase agreements" are included in total reserves. Collateral provided in securities-lending transactions is not included in total reserves.

9. Cash invested under repurchase agreements is included in total reserves. Collateral provided in securities-lending transactions is not included in total reserves.

Future Release Dates

The next release is February 4, 2004 (covering the period January 2004).

A list of upcoming release dates is posted on the Department of Finance Web site located at: www.fin.gc.ca/invest_x/releaseDates_e.asp

___________________
For further information:

Sandra Lavoratore
Financial Markets Division
(613) 947-3919
Andrée Houde
Public Affairs and Operations Division
(613) 996-8080 

For further information on the Exchange Fund Account, please consult the 2002 Annual Report to Parliament on the Operations of the Exchange Fund Account by the Minister of Finance and Report of the Auditor General to the Minister of Finance on the Examination of the Accounts and Financial Statements of the Exchange Fund Account, located at www.fin.gc.ca/purl/efa-e.html.

If you would like to receive automatic e-mail notification of all news releases, please visit the Department of Finance Canada Web site at http://www.fin.gc.ca/scripts/register_e.asp.


Official International Reserves (10-Year Synopsis)


US 
dollars
Other 
currencies
Gold SDRs IMF 
position
Total

(millions of US dollars)
December 31, 2003 15,576 15,961 45 838 3,848 36,268
November 30, 2003 15,879 15,365 69 812 3,968 36,093
October 31, 2003 16,145 14,902 67 795 3,947 35,856
September 30, 2003 16,382 15,464 67 794 3,971 36,678
August 31, 2003 16,134 14,541 65 765 3,785 35,290
July 31, 2003 15,967 14,831 110 761 4,096 35,765
June 30, 2003 16,207 15,469 107 766 4,150 36,699
May 31, 2003 16,652 16,044 153 777 3,797 37,423
April 30, 2003 16,587 15,045 142 745 3,744 36,263
March 31, 2003 16,501 14,754 170 739 3,762 35,926
February 28, 2003 16,188 15,238 177 738 3,560 35,901
January 31, 2003 17,885 15,211 220 728 3,591 37,635
December 31, 2002 17,946 14,739 205 712 3,567 37,169

Dec. 31, 2001 19,748 10,736 291 614 2,859 34,248
Dec. 31, 2000 21,692 7,327 323 574 2,508 32,424
Dec. 31, 1999 18,838 5,594 524 526 3,164 28,646
Dec. 31, 1998 15,907 4,004 122 1,097 2,297 23,427
Dec. 31, 1997 14,630 492 146 1,126 1,575 17,969
Dec. 31, 1996 17,521 507 155 1,168 1,227 20,578
Dec. 31, 1995 12,127 502 178 1,177 1,243 15,227
Dec. 31, 1994 9,693 526 199 1,148 910 12,475
Dec. 31, 1993 9,950 521 292 1,064 949 12,776
Dec. 31, 1992 7,864 1,518 478 1,039 1,010 11,909

Last Updated: 2004-11-18

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