External effects of US monetary policy

Abstract

The article focuses on the changes in US monetary policy since the  beginning of the 21st century and reveals the impact of this policy  on the national economies of other countries, especially emerging markets. The US monetary policy influenced the emerging  markets both through the real and financial channels. Through the  latter, the main impact was on the Treasury bills rates and on the  exchange rates. At the same time, the influence on different  countries varied in different periods. For example, interest rates in  Thailand, Mexico and Pakistan before the global economic and  financial crisis in general followed the cycle of US monetary policy.  The “quantitative easing” policy, the statements and the follow-up  actions to abolish it, have influenced cross-border capital flows to  emerging markets. A number of countries, including Russia,  experienced the impact of US monetary policy through the dynamics  of oil prices. Emerging markets face restrictions on their monetary  policy from the US monetary policy, but in practice they seek to  circumvent them through exchange rate regulation, restrictions on  crossborder capital flows and the pursuit of an independent monetary policy, not following the  cycles of interest rate changes in the US.