Dedollarisation

Dedollarisation refers to efforts by governments, firms and market participants to reduce the use of the U.S. dollar in reserves, trade invoicing and settlement, cross-border finance, and domestic transactions. Motivations are diverse, and include gaining greater economic independence, reducing exposure to U.S. monetary and sanctions policy, lowering currency mismatch and transaction costs, and building local market infrastructure. The channels of dedollarisation are distinct and progress is uneven across them. Since the establishment of the Bretton Woods system, the US dollar has been used as the medium for international trade. The U.S. dollar remains the leading international currency by most measures: foreign-exchange turnover, trade invoicing outside Europe, and the denomination of cross-border assets. However, its share in official reserves has drifted down gradually over two decades.