Figures issued by Banque du Liban (BdL) show that the net foreign assets of the financial sector, which are a proxy for Lebanon's balance of payments, rose by $19.56bn in 2025, compared to increases of $6.4bn in 2024 and of $2.24bn in 2023.  The cumulative surplus in 2025 was caused by increases of $18bn in the net foreign assets of BdL and of $1.54bn in those of banks and financial institutions. Further, the net foreign assets of the financial sector rose by $2.23bn in December 2025 compared to an increase of $1.5bn in November 2025 and to a decrease of $789.5m in December 2024. The December rise was caused by increases of $2bn in the net foreign assets of BdL and of $215.9m in those of banks and financial institutions.  According to BdL figures, the cumulative rise in BdLꞌs net foreign assets reserves in 2025 is due mainly to an increase of $16.3bn in the value of BdL's gold reserves, which was partly offset by a decrease of $2.3bn in its foreign currency reserves during the covered year.  Also, the rise in the banks' net foreign assets in the covered period is mostly due to increases of $699.5m in the banks' claims on  the non-resident financial sector and of $54.4m in claims on non-resident customers, as well as to a decrease of $279m in the deposits of the non-resident financial sector, which more than offset a rise of $499m in non-resident customer deposits.  BdL said that it started in January 2024 to include monetary gold, the non-resident foreign securities held by BdL, and the foreign currencies & deposits with correspondent banks and international organizations as part of its foreign assets; while it excluded the Lebanese government's sovereign bonds and its loans in foreign currency to resident banks and financial institutions from the entry. It attributed the modifications to its adoption of the IMF's methodology as stipulated in the latter's Sixth Edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual and in the Monetary & Financial Statistics Manual & Compilation Guide. It added that the changes are in line with the BdL Central Council's Decision Number 37/20/24 on September 13, 2024. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Byblos Bank, LTW, 2-7 Feb. 2026