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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (October 8) that the official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$301.2 billion as at the end of September 2012 (end August 2012: US$298.2 billion) (Annex).
Including unsettled forward contracts, the foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong at the end of September 2012 stood at US$301.2 billion (end-August 2012: US$298.2 billion).
The total foreign currency reserve assets of US$301.2 billion represent about eight times the currency in circulation or 55% of Hong Kong dollar M3.
Release calendar
The release calendar of foreign currency reserve assets for 2013 is announced below:
Reference Month Release Date
January 2013 February 7, 2013
February 2013 March 7, 2013
March 2013 April 8, 2013
April 2013 May 7, 2013
May 2013 June 7, 2013
June 2013 July 5, 2013
July 2013 August 7, 2013
August 2013 September 6, 2013
September 2013 October 7, 2013
October 2013 November 7, 2013
November 2013 December 6, 2013
December 2013 January 7, 2014
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of October 2012, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
October 8
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
October 12
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
(Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
October 31
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
October 31
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
Ends/Monday, October 8, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:21
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