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Release at 8:15 a.m. EDT
Ottawa, May 5, 2004
2004-034

Official International Reserves

- Official International Reserves 2004 -


The Department of Finance announced today that Canada’s official international reserves decreased by an amount equivalent to US$1,299 million during April to US$35,113 million.

Details on the level and composition of Canada’s reserves as of April 30, 2004, 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

29,039

Deposits

  1,785

Total securities and deposits (liquid reserves)

30,824

Gold1

42

Special drawing rights (SDRs)

832

Reserve position in the IMF

  3,415

Total: 

April 30, 2004

35,113

March 31, 2004

36,412

Net change

-1,299


Details on Deposits

Other central banks/Bank for International Settlements

535

Banks headquartered in Canada

0

  Of which: located abroad

Banks headquartered abroad

1,250

  Of which: located in Canada

50 

_____

Total

1,785

Details of Net Change

Reserves management operations2

-461

Gains and losses on gold sales

0

Net investment gains and losses

  Return on investments3

-235

  Foreign currency debt charges

-65

  Revaluation effects4

-538

Net government operations5

0

Official intervention

0

Other transactions

        0

Net change

-1,299

Currency Composition of Deposits and Securities

US dollars

15,712

Euro

14,087

Yen

1,013

Other

       12

Total

30,824


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

-1,735

-702

-4,648

-7,085

Interest

-296

-168

-718

-1,182

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

-2,031

-870

-5,366

-8,267


Additional Information (Nominal Value)

Undrawn, unconditional credit lines with
banks headquartered outside Canada

6,000

Securities lent under repurchase agreements8

-1,870

Securities held under repurchase agreements9

311

Financial derivatives assets (net, marked to market)

  Forwards

0

  Swaps

-336


Notes:

1. There were no sales of gold settled in April. On April 30, gold holdings stood at 0.1 million ounces. The valuation is based on the April 30, 2004, London p.m. fix of US$388.50 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 April Canada bills decreased by US$961 million to a level of outstanding bills of US$1,605 million. Cross-currency swaps of domestic obligations raised a total of US$500 million.

3. "Return on investments" comprises US$89 million of interest earned on investments and a US$324-million decrease 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.

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 June 3, 2004 (covering the period May 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)

April 30, 2004

15,712

15,112

42

832

3,415

35,113

March 31, 2004

16,194

15,723

46

847

3,602

36,412

February 29, 2004

15,546

15,842

43

847

3,705

35,983

January 31, 2004

15,685

15,968

44

835

3,836

36,368

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


Dec. 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


Last Updated: 2004-05-05

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