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Visualizing The World's "Hot" Money

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Every year, roughly $1 trillion flows illegally out of developing and emerging economies due to crime, corruption, and tax evasion. This amount is more than these countries receive in foreign direct investment and foreign aid combined.

This week, a new report was released that highlights the latest data available on this “hot” money. Assembled by Global Financial Integrity, a research and advisory organization based in Washington, DC, the report details illicit financial flows of money from developing countries using the latest information available, which is up until the end of 2013.

 

Courtesy of: Visual Capitalist

 

The cumulative amount of this “hot money” coming out of developing countries totaled just over $7.8 trillion between 2004 and 2013. On an annual basis, it breached the $1 trillion mark each of the last three years of data available, which is good for a growth rate of 6.5% rate annually.

In Asia, illicit financial outflows are growing even quicker at an 8.6% clip. It’s also on the continent that five of the ten largest source economies for these flows can be found, including the largest offender, which is Mainland China.

How does this “hot” money leave these countries? Global Financial Integrity has calculated that 83% of illicit financial flows are due to what it calls “trade misinvoicing”.

It’s defined as the following:

The misinvoicing of trade is accomplished by misstating the value or volume of an export or import on a customs invoice. Trade misinvoicing is a form of trade-based money laundering made possible by the fact that trading partners write their own trade documents, or arrange to have the documents prepared in a third country (typically a tax haven), a method known as re-invoicing. Fraudulent manipulation of the price, quantity, or quality of a good or service on an invoice allows criminals, corrupt government officials, and commercial tax evaders to shift vast amounts of money across international borders quickly, easily, and nearly always undetected.

Trade misinvoicing accounted for an average of $654.7 billion per year of lost trade in developing markets over the data set covered by the report.

Source: Visual Capitalist

 

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Fri, 12/11/2015 - 22:39 | 6913149 Squid-puppets a...
Squid-puppets a-go-go's picture

and i thought 'Miss Invoicing' was a wall street stripper

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 22:52 | 6913187 NidStyles
NidStyles's picture

How many of them are gun free zones?

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:20 | 6913258 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

Goldman Sachs buzz-acronym "BRICS" are five of the largest exporters of "hot money".

It amuses me to no end how so many buy the idea that the BRICS are gonna take over the world.

All five are dumps where most ZH-ers would NOT want to live.  Trust me on that.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 01:54 | 6913638 Macon Richardson
Macon Richardson's picture

All five may be dumps but why would I ever want to trust you?

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 02:56 | 6913728 markmotive
Sat, 12/12/2015 - 07:56 | 6913778 jefferson32
jefferson32's picture

What the fuck is "illicit" money? Savings that weren't looted away?

Better definitions would have "black" money correspond to any government/public spending, declared capital and proceeds from violent crime (i.e. money that is acquired through or enables violence) and honest money to all the undeclared savings, underground economy/trade proceeds and non-institutional drug money.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 12:11 | 6914461 Stainless Steel Rat
Stainless Steel Rat's picture

BRICS currency is backed by their infrastructure, labor force, resources, etc.  The bulk of the fed-notes value comes from it having been the established medium of exchange.  They are working on that on the oil and SWIFT fronts.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 12:43 | 6914545 The Pope
The Pope's picture

Where's Turkey Run park in 'Langley' on that map?

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 15:06 | 6914987 Fod
Fod's picture

Also, where are the numbers for the first world countries? Or do they not have "illicit" money?

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 11:16 | 6914280 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

Macon Richardson

Good point.  I should not have written that last sentence.

Indeed, be careful whom you trust.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 04:23 | 6913791 avenriv
avenriv's picture

the most of China money leaves through HK. do you think HK is a dump ?

did you ever leave your small town ?

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 11:15 | 6914287 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

I found Hong Kong rather nice some 20 years ago, Beijing not so much.

We just came back from India.

So, yes, I have been to four of those BRICS, and am not impressed.  Sorry.

Feel free to tell me more though.  Especially about your travels.  ;)

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 10:34 | 6914166 stitch-rock
stitch-rock's picture

She is.

She does the duo dame show with Miss Representation.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 15:08 | 6914988 Arnold
Arnold's picture

On weekends featuring Miss Adventure and Miss Demenor.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 22:50 | 6913167 Soul Glow
Soul Glow's picture

I believe one of the only things keeping the US economy afloat is the marijuana trade.  It went legal in a few NW States, opening up a floodgate of the crop.  It is being sold on the streets of Portland Oregon like Starbucks coffee, but Nothern California is still producing tens of billions in dollars of the weed.

The product moves east and south now, giving an income to anyone involved.  Grass alone is producing maybe $100B worth per anum.  What else in this economy is doing that?

Oil was, until the price dropped.  Now wildcatters are bankrupt.  Tech?  They aren't making the money they say they do, it's all accounting gimmicks.  Wall Street is skimming the cream off the milk, oh, and the milk went rotten years ago.

Marijuana is the capstone to the economy.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:22 | 6913263 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

SG!  Weird, ain't it?

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 16:42 | 6915269 zeronetwork
zeronetwork's picture

The way things are changing, prostitution will be near second.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:00 | 6913194 August
August's picture

Fighting Terrorism, Tax Evasion, Bank Secrecy and Dirty Money since 2006.

Perhaps this is a worthy organization, but I wouldn't bet on it; "useful" might be a better discriptor.

http://www.gfintegrity.org/

The alternative is automatic exchange of financial information, and it is exactly what it sounds like—countries automatically exchange information on bank accounts, transactions, and financial flows with each other on a periodic basis, enabling law enforcement and tax authorities to follow up on any leads they may have. GFI has advocated for many years that countries should establish and participate in systems whereby they exchange as much information with each other as is feasible.

One Bank to Rule Them All

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:00 | 6913203 ebworthen
ebworthen's picture

The "hot money" is at the FED.

End Central Banking now.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:01 | 6913205 BarnacleBill
BarnacleBill's picture

As a (retired) tax-haven professional in three countries, and a former Manager of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, I must caution against the term "mis-invoicing" - with or without the hyphen...More properly, it's re-invoicing, and no more illicit than the procedure by which any trader buys goods at one price and sells them at another.

When a corporate buyer is owned by the same people as own the seller, their transaction may raise an eyebrow or two, but usually it would be permitted by the published taxation laws of all the relevant companies, as those laws are interpreted by both private-sector lawyers and the tax authorities. With transactions of that kind, it is beneficial for the owners if the tax-rates are different in the two jurisdictions. Well, of course; but that situation is always - always - allowed by the laws of those jurisdictions, whether they are developed or developing.

Over the years I have written several brief explanations of how "offshore" havens work. The one at the link below covers the basic-basics reasonably well.

http://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2013/01/offshore-tax-havens-what-they-do.html

 

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 10:49 | 6914210 pocomotion
pocomotion's picture

Interesting, and thank you!  I saved the link for further reading.  Can I assume that is your blog?

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 15:10 | 6914996 Arnold
Arnold's picture

Ditto.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:16 | 6913247 blazing
blazing's picture

How much hot money US pumps out every year for the three golden reasons of "crime, corruption, and tax evasion" ?

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:38 | 6913319 tarabel
tarabel's picture

 

 

We really need a hefty one-world government to put a stop to these activities.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:43 | 6913333 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

Nice!  Got my + 1.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 03:44 | 6913766 Midas
Midas's picture

Hillary has the hefty part covered.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 04:44 | 6913808 old naughty
old naughty's picture

one-world governement, one bank, one religion, one sex (or no sex, robots), one...

someone said "weird" above, and it does feel like that, when "we are one" deteriorated over(time) into more, variety of experiences, but then a smart evil one named anu...

we are heading into that rabbit hole, folks.

4get mis- re- (even un-) all part of the plan being excuted.

que sera sera...

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 04:54 | 6913822 old naughty
old naughty's picture

on a mandane level, anyone remembers Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX, if you're into 3-letters) ?

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 15:12 | 6915004 Fod
Fod's picture

And as SoulGlow mentioned above, Marijuana has great annual numbers. We are really heading to Brave New World/1984 territory.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 09:38 | 6914079 Urban Roman
Urban Roman's picture

Ein Reich! Ein Volk! Ein Fuehrer!

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 23:41 | 6913324 wisefool
wisefool's picture

"Edwardo Savorin" owes me both the $2B and the "Stern letter" from Jon "wet start" McCaine.

Lois learner knows where I live, but it is a long walk. (1600 SAT)

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 00:03 | 6913389 e_goldstein
e_goldstein's picture

So, you're saying that people want to keep what they earn and not support the parasitical and tyrannical activities of their local corrupt regimes.

 

 

Who'd a thunk it.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 00:17 | 6913433 Mr.BlingBling
Mr.BlingBling's picture

OT ALERT!

Four Waco bikers killed by same kind of rifle used by police

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3356637/Four-Waco-bikers-killed-...

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 11:17 | 6914296 Borrow Owl
Borrow Owl's picture

Just another ,gov massacre.

Nothing to see here. Move along now

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 15:13 | 6915005 Arnold
Arnold's picture

Schwinns or Huffy s?

Oh gosh no,not Cannondales?

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 00:57 | 6913529 Duc888
Duc888's picture

 

 

"Every year, roughly $1 trillion flows illegally out of developing and emerging economies due to crime, corruption, and tax evasion"

 

Yea, that would be banksterz, CIA and their drug running, NGO's and their child trafficking....... etc...  

Might want to throw a few more zero's in there too.

Bob who runs the deli down the street and pockets $500 "illicit" dollars a week is not your worry or concern you stupid fuckkkerz.

 


Sat, 12/12/2015 - 04:45 | 6913811 pcrs
pcrs's picture

No hot money in the USA Australia and Europe apperantly. Probably no money at all,  hot or cold. 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 11:54 | 6913836 zeroboris
zeroboris's picture

The Russian central bank every year publishes a report of how many billions of dollars have been stolen from our economy, and... does nothing, nothing at all to stop this.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 06:31 | 6913892 smacker
smacker's picture

There are good arguments to say that what people do with their own money is nothing to do with .gov.

But once again, we see banksters and corrupt corporate sector players colluding with corrupt individuals and assorted criminals - many inside .gov itself - to move ill-gotten gains to safer places out of reach of law enforcement in their own countries.

Banksters facilitate virtually every financial crime.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 06:55 | 6913914 SharkBit
SharkBit's picture

And Apple, Google, Amazon, Pfizer et. al. are not doing the exact same thing.  Been doing it for years.  USSA wrote the book on Transfer Pricing.

Just that when someone else does this its bad.  Ohhh.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 07:13 | 6913934 Obola-Master
Obola-Master's picture

But why is missing from that map the "big player" US? Only 1 example here https://youtu.be/FfISZaCHJ_4

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 10:58 | 6914240 rwe2late
rwe2late's picture

 The original premise is flawed.

"Legal" vs. "Illegal".

The Trillion$ of US imports paid with counterfeit, err "fiat dollars" is "legal".

The billions in the marijuana trade are "illegal", but the big Pharma scams are "legal".

The billions extorted through the petrodollar are "legal". The aid, err "payoffs" to corrupt tyrannies and expansionist apartheid regimes are "legal" (e.g. Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kiev, Colombia, etc.).

The billions paid to illegally attack Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan are "legal".

Missing are the suicided farmers in India resultant from Monsanto "investments".

Missing are the backdoor bribes of global corporations and the Libor and other Goldman Sachs style financial scams.

etc. and etc.

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 11:34 | 6914350 Absalon
Absalon's picture

On a serious note: this money represents excess savings from those countries and acts as a fiscal drag on those countries and the global economy.  If that money had been consumed by the citizens of those countries instead of being parked in US dollar bank accounts in tax havens around the world, the whole world would be better off.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 12:02 | 6914431 djrichard
djrichard's picture

The way things are “supposed” to work

  • importer collects US currency from trade with US
  • importer sells that US currency to local exporters in exchange for the local currency
  • Central bank of this country buys some of those US dollars as well, to maintain a peg of the local currency to the US dollar
    • Not only that, but the Central bank also prints the local currency to buy the US dollars, essentially engaging in quantitative easing of the local currency (which results in nice little asset bubbles denominated in the local currency).

The way things are not “supposed” to work:

  • Importer collects US currency from trade
  • Importer in turn repatriates US currency to US with an acquisition of US assets
    • Essentially the importer becomes an exporter

The only difference as I can tell is that the 2nd method results in the following:

  • There’s less US currency to sell to exporters.  Therefore the price of the US dollar goes up.
  • This means, the central bank should be less aggressive in buying the US dollars if it wants to keep the peg the same.  That means there’s less printing by the central bank of the local currency.  QE goes down (local asset prices at risk potentially).
  • If there’s too much “repatriation” of US currency by importers (i.e. capital flight), the peg becomes too difficult to maintain
    • The central bank may have to sell US denominated assets (treasuries), to become a seller (rather than buyer) of the US currency to maintain the peg.
    • Or the central bank may have to simply let the peg go down, letting the local currency become weaker.

 

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 13:37 | 6914724 falak pema
falak pema's picture

All the oil majors re-invoice from tax havens.

Its been the favoured route of all energy multinationals.

Commodity trades is the other juggernaut via the huge trading conglomerates. Marc Rich made his name on that ticket.

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 14:36 | 6914898 Philippines
Philippines's picture

Right. No "hot money" activity going on in the Middle East at all. Unbelievable a bit

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 15:46 | 6915103 surf@jm
surf@jm's picture

An I was wondering who the fools are that keep buying over valued stocks in America......Now I know....And when they sell, the money is laundered lily white clean.......

Sat, 12/12/2015 - 19:59 | 6915841 Crush the cube
Crush the cube's picture

Illicit by who's definition?  Fraudulent trade invoices, so they were all audited and caught, huh.  

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