(snip)Look at China Dump Treasury Holdings at This Scary Pace
At 9 am, Treasury released its March TIC (international funds flow) data. While the headline number of $116 billion in total net TIC flows was slightly higher than February at $116.0 billion compared to $97.7 previously, the net number (offset by US transactions in foreign securities) missed expectations of $33 billion, printing at $24 billion. Notably, of the $116 billion in foreign flows into US securities, foreign central banks were ($10) billion (and privates were $126 billion), indicating that the central banker cartel may be in need of some additional funding soon.
Net foreign purchases of long-term U.S. securities were $54.7 billion. Of this, net purchases by private foreign investors were $44.9 billion, and net purchases by foreign official institutions were $9.9 billion. Foreign holdings of dollar-denominated short-term U.S. securities, including U.S. Treasury bills and other custody liabilities, decreased $18.3 billion. Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury bills decreased $21.9 billion. And while we will provide a full breakdown later in the day, the key trend in US paper holdings continues to be China (NYSE:FXI), whose total US debt holdings dropped for the 5th consecutive month in a row at $1144.9 billion, and the largest one month decline since November 2010.
View this with the thought in mind that, as of the end of June, the US FED will no longer be a buyer of US Treasuries as the QE2 program ends. This will leave the US gov't in a situation of needing to print and sell $100+ BILLION in new US Treasuries every month in order to continue sending out checks ! Without China's presence as a buyer at future US Treasury bond auctions, it's guaranteed that interest rates will have to increase substantially over present levels in order to attract other willing buyers.




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