Why crash in US dollar is coming

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

The era of the US dollar's "exorbitant privilege" as the world's primary reserve currency is coming to an end. Then French Finance Minister Valery Giscard d'Estaing coined that phrase in the 1960s largely out of frustration, bemoaning a United States that drew freely on the rest of the world to support its overextended standard of living.

For almost 60 years, the world complained but did nothing about it. Those days are over.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 10, 2020, with the headline Why crash in US dollar is coming. Subscribe