Ireland's $54 Billion U.S. Treasury Securities Holdings

[briarz]

Excuse me for my financial and economic ignorance but can anybody explain to me why Ireland has such a major holding of United States Treasury Securities.

http://www.treas.gov/tic/mfh.txt

Perhaps it is not that high but 54.7 billion seems like a lot for a small country like ours. Also, if this figure is correct is there any possibility of liquidating these bonds before maturity, perhaps by off-loading them to a third party?

Again, apologies if I am being naive or missing something here.

[cactusflower]

Star post ***

youngdan - where are you when we need you ?

Please note that the Russians have started to sell theirs. They are rapidly diminishing in value. Started a thread on it called "Death of the Dollar" yesterday.

[mr_anderson]

Excuse me for my financial and economic ignorance but can anybody explain to me why Ireland has such a major holding of United States Treasury Securities.

http://www.treas.gov/tic/mfh.txt

Perhaps it is not that high but 54.7 billion seems like a lot for a small country like ours. Also, if this figure is correct is there any possibility of liquidating these bonds before maturity, perhaps by off-loading them to a third party?

Again, apologies if I am being naive or missing something here.

4 letters - IFSC
The securities are held in Ireland, not by Ireland.

[BodyofEvidence]

Excuse me for my financial and economic ignorance but can anybody explain to me why Ireland has such a major holding of United States Treasury Securities.

http://www.treas.gov/tic/mfh.txt

Perhaps it is not that high but 54.7 billion seems like a lot for a small country like ours. Also, if this figure is correct is there any possibility of liquidating these bonds before maturity, perhaps by off-loading them to a third party?

Again, apologies if I am being naive or missing something here.

these are not holdings by the state ; they are holdings by residents of the state.

[briarz]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Can you shed any light on why the value of these holdings has trebled in 12 months?

Cheers

[youngdan]

Unfortunately they did not treble in value, they would have fallen in price. Others bought more of them so the total owned is now 54 billion.

Still a lot of money so don't tell Cael or he will want to tax them

[feargach]

Not just Cael!

[west'sawake]

4 letters - IFSC
The securities are held in Ireland, not by Ireland.

Thanks for that I was wondering, it would mean all our national debt plus more was denominated in dollars!

[atlantic]

so have the Brazilians .The Italian police have arrested two Japanese hitting for Switzerland with 100 s of billion of US paper.They are checking to see if they are counterfeit

Star post ***

youngdan - where are you when we need you ?

Please note that the Russians have started to sell theirs. They are rapidly diminishing in value. Started a thread on it called "Death of the Dollar" yesterday.

[feargach]

The dollar just jumped too: looks like "the dollar is falling" ain't going to be this summer's smash hit.