Within the political, diplomatic, and ideological change and transformation in the global system, a monetary process is also taking place. For a long time under the US-centered Western hegemony, Western currencies were the most widely used money and reserves in the world. After the Second World War, the US dollar completely dominated the global economic and financial system. While the beginning of dollar hegemony in the world brought incredible privileges for the US, for the non-Western world it was a master-slave relationship. However, with the 2000s, a non-Western change and transformation on all fronts began to manifest itself in the monetary and financial sphere as well. While the dollar accounted for 72% of international reserves before 2000, it fell below 59 percent in 2023. With the Russia-Ukraine war, the rate of decline of the dollar in reserves increased 10 times more. The dollar in world reserves is now at its lowest level in 27 years. Again, while nearly 70 percent of global trade was carried out in dollars in the early 2000s, today it has declined to around 40%. Although the dollar is still the most widely used currency and reserve in the world, today it is in an indisputable decline. With this decline, the US, the only country in the world with the privilege of printing money, is today the most indebted country and nation in the world.
Especially with the Russia-Ukraine war, the dollar hegemony and the financial system built by the US entered a rapid breakdown process. Because the seizure of the currency reserves of non-Western countries by the US and Europe, the seizure of money, houses, cars, ships and airplanes of private enterprise, as well as the seizure of these reserves despite court rulings, created a great shock. At the same time, the exclusion of non-Western countries from the US-centered financial system was one of the developments that frightened the whole world. This is why the dollar and the Western financial system came to be seen as a dangerous and aggressive tool in the non-Western world. In fact, the use of the dollar as a weapon by American power was the most common type of attack on non-Western actors. In other words, this could happen to anyone who disagreed with Western actors. The rules-based liberal international order established by Western actors was, as usual, violated by the West. What happened showed that free capital and free finance, in other words liberal values, were pushed into a corner. This frightening scenario could happen at any time to all non-Western nations and states. As a result of these events, a new process has begun, especially in the non-Western world. It became a trend again for states to trade in their national currencies.
The yuan, the national currency of China, the world’s largest creditor and second largest economy, has taken the lead in this regard. The yuan became the most traded currency in Russia, while the dollar declined. China and Russia have managed to reach 80% of their trade payments in yuan and rubles. Israel, an indispensable ally of the United States, has added the Chinese yuan to its reserves while reducing the US dollar and the European Union euro. France became the first European country to use the yuan in its trade with China. The yuan was also used in trade between China and the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, it is foreseen that payments in the energy exchange between Russia and Pakistan will most likely be paid in yuan. In addition, Brazil and China started to trade in their national currencies. As a global breakthrough, the petroyuan alternative to petrodollars in Saudi Arabia could be activated at any moment. Even petroruble and petrorupee discussions are on the agenda. With this agenda, Saudi Arabia’s first action was to decide to sell oil in local currencies. Thus, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to sell oil to Kenya in Kenyan shillings instead of dollars.
The Russian currency, the ruble, is now the dominant currency of the Eurasian Economic Union. Turkey, among many other countries, has started to use rubles in its trade. On the contrary, the trend towards the Turkish lira is on the rise on the Moscow stock exchange. It should not be forgotten that Turkey has also started using the yuan in its trade alongside the ruble. The Indian currency, the rupee, is quietly rising. India has signed agreements with 20 countries, including the UK, Germany, Israel, Russia and Singapore, to use rupees in trade. Bangladesh has also decided to use the national currency instead of the dollar with India. Finally, India announced an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to use rupees in trade.
Brazil, the giant power of Latin America, called for a transition to a national and common currency instead of the dollar in Latin America. Brazil and Argentina are working on a common currency. In addition, the Bank of Brazil became the first Latin American bank to join the Chinese payment system CIPS, one of the alternatives to the Western payment system. At the same time, the Brazilian Central Bank announced that the yuan has overtaken the euro to become the country’s second largest international reserve currency. Even Iran and Indonesia agreed to use their national currencies for trade. Let’s not forget that Iran is being paid for oil by India and China in rupees and yuan.
Non-Western global and regional organizations are also making critical moves in this regard. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has begun preparations to switch from dollars, euros and sterling to national currencies in financial transactions. Malaysia has also proposed an Asian Monetary Fund. The BRICS organization has also accelerated its efforts for a common currency. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization brought the use of national currencies to the agenda at its last summit. In fact, the total economic size of Asia, Latin America and Africa has surpassed North America and Europe. This has naturally increased interest in the national currencies of the emerging economies of these countries.
As you can see, the process of de-dollarization, or abandoning the dollar, is being followed with interest around the world and is highly accepted. Today, more than 60 countries and nations trade in their national currencies. While there is no doubt that this will increase day by day, it has become clear that we can no longer speak of the hegemony of a single currency. Autarkic and hierarchical American monetary policies have been a burden for non-Western nations and are no longer valid. Instead of a single Western monetary reserve dominating the world, a multi-currency reserve is desired. Therefore, the decline of the dollar hegemony is not only the rise of the yuan, but also the globalization of non-Western currencies, that is, the establishment of a non-Western multi-currency order, is the basic reality of the future. Of course, this process will be long and arduous.
Twitter: @umur_tugay
