Question

International Finance Problem Set on Working Capital Management 2. Homestead, Inc. manufactures basic farm equipment in China, Spain, and the U.S. Each subsidiary has monthly unsettled balances due to or from other subsidiaries. At the end of December, unsettled intracompany debts in U.S. dollars were as follows:
Homestead China:		Amount
Owes to Spanish subsidiary		$ 6,000,000
Owes to U.S. parent		$ 8,000,000
Homestead Spain:
Owes to Chinese subsidiary		$ 5,000,000
Owes to U.S. parent		$ 6,000,000
Homestead U.S.:
Owes to Chinese subsidiary		$ 4,000,000
Owes to Spanish subsidiary		$ 8,000,000
Foreign exchange transaction costs		0.400%
How could Homestead net these intracompany debts? How much would be saved in transaction expenses over the no-netting alternative if transaction costs are 0.400%?

Answer 1

a)		(in million)	China	Spain	US
	owes to	China	-	6	8
	Spain	5	-	6
	US	4	8	-
		Netting off intra company debts:
		China has to give $1 million to Spain
		US ha sto give $2 million to Spain
		China has to give $4 million to US
b)	Total transaction is 1 + 2 + 4 = $7 million.
	Transaction cost is $7 million *0.40%.
		$0.03	million
	Savings in transaction expenses over the no-netting alternative is $0.03 million.