On January 1, the U.S. dollar:Japanese yen exchange rate is $1 = ¥250. During the year, U.S. inflation is 4% and Japanese inflation is 2%. On December 31, the exchange rate is $1 = ¥235. What are the likely competitive effects of this exchange rate change on Caterpillar Tractor, the American earth‑moving manufacturer, whose toughest competitor is Japan’s Komatsu?
Answer. The real value of the yen changed from $.004000 (1/250) at the start of the year to $.004339 (1/235 x 1.04/1.02) at the end of the year, an increase of 8.47%. Caterpillar Tractor should benefit from this increase in the real value of the yen since Komatsu does most of its manufacturing in Japan. The inflation‑adjusted dollar cost of Japanese‑supplied components and labor will rise in line with the increase in the real value of the yen. Komatsu’s raw materials and energy prices should not rise in dollar terms because these resources are imported
