兩個國家的居民（包括政府）在特定的時期中所有經濟交易的系統記錄。這些交易以複式計帳法的形式呈現。比如說，美國的國際收支記錄著，藉由過美國進口商品、美國遊客在國外的花費，以及外國人的借貸等等讓外國人取得美金的各種不同管道。這些支出陳列在收支表的貸方一欄。借方一欄則陳列著各種外國儲存美金的不同用途，包括支付給美國出口的貨品、支付美國的債務利息等這一類。外國可能擁有－－比起他們必需支付給美國的貨品與勞務－－還要多的美金；他們可以持有這些盈餘，或著賺買黃金、或著購買證卷。外國也有可能擁有－－比起他們需要支付給美國的貨品與勞務－－還要少的美元，而可能藉由轉售黃金、出售在美國的證卷等，以獲得補貼的美元。某幾種資金排程的形態（如大量黃金的外流）作為支付國外債務的手投，比起其他幾種（比如說，轉換藉由國際貿易取得的貨幣），更不受到歡迎。國際貨幣基金會協助處理關於國際收支的相關爭端。亦請參閱balance of trade。
balance of payments
Systematic record of all economic transactions during a given period between residents (including the government) of one country and residents (including the governments) of other countries. The transactions are presented in the form of double-entry bookkeeping. The U.S. balance of payments, for example, records the various ways in which dollars are made available to foreigners through U.S. imports, U.S. tourist spending abroad, foreign lending, and so on. These expenditures are shown on the debit side of the balance. The credit side shows the various uses to which foreigners put their dollars, including paying for U.S. exports, servicing debts to the U.S., and the like. Foreign countries may acquire more dollars than they need to spend on U.S. goods and services and may hold the surplus or purchase gold or securities; or they may have fewer dollars than they need to purchase U.S. goods and services, and may acquire additional dollars by transferring gold, selling holdings in the U.S., and so on. Certain forms of transferring funds (e.g., large outflows of gold) are less desirable as a way of settling foreign debts than others (e.g., transfers of currency acquired through international trade). The International Monetary Fund helps address problems relating to balance of payments. See also balance of trade.
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