Invoice currency: Puzzling evidence and new questions from Brazil

Abstract

This article for the first time uses Brazilian trade data to draw conclusions about the invoice currency choice — both in general and as it pertains to the Brazilian real (BRL). We find that the Brazil-Argentina policy of providing payment orders associated to an exchange transaction between their currencies has had a significant impact on the currency chosen for invoicing, establishing a link between the availability of financial instruments and the invoice currency choice. Moreover, the evidence does not confirm some previous international results. We identify that in Brazil there is no coincidence regarding the use of BRL for invoicing and its use for making payments. Yet we find that the main exports denominated in BRL are homogenous goods — sugar and tobacco — suggesting that some bargaining power might remain even if goods are traded in international markets. From the BRL-specific perspective, we categorically move away from the idea that the BRL is not used in Brazilian international trade. Although it is used at a limited absolute volume, an exceptional ninefold growth between 2007 and 2011 is observed. New intriguing questions about Brazilian currency usage can therefore be proposed.

Keywords

• Trade invoicing
• Brazilian real use
• Currency denomination
• Binational payment system