• External arbitrage is a type of arbitrage involving multinational US banks to take advantage of interest rate differentials between the US and other countries.

  • External arbitrage occurs when interest rates in the United States are lower than abroad, so banks borrow in the United States at a low rate and then lend abroad at a higher rate, profiting from the difference.
  • Domestic arbitrage is the opposite and occurs when domestic rates are higher than abroad.
  • External arbitrage was invented in the middle of the twentieth century due to the high demand for savings accounts denominated in US dollars abroad.
  • Arbitrage occurs when there are minor fluctuations or discrepancies in interest rates.