balance of payments
noun
the difference between a nation's total payments to foreign countries, including movements of capital and gold, investments, tourist spending, etc., and its total receipts from foreign countries.
Origin of balance of payments
First recorded in 1835–45
Words nearby balance of payments
balance beam,
balance bridge,
balance control,
balance lug,
balance of nature,
balance of payments,
balance of power,
balance of terror,
balance of trade,
balance pipe,
balance shaft
Example sentences from the Web for balance of payments
For balance-of-payments reasons, Japan closely controls its receipts and expenditures of foreign exchange.
East-West Trade Trends |Harold E. Stassen
British Dictionary definitions for balance of payments
balance of payments
noun
the difference over a given time between total payments to foreign nations, arising from imports of goods and services and transfers abroad of capital, interest, grants, etc, and total receipts from foreign nations, arising from exports of goods and services and transfers from abroad of capital, interest, grants, etc
Cultural definitions for balance of payments
balance of payments
The relationship between the payments made by one nation to all other nations and its receipts from all other nations.
notes for balance of payments
A nation whose payments exceed its receipts is said to be running an unfavorable balance of payments, which can affect the value of its
currency in foreign countries. (
See
foreign exchange.)