A more thorough explanation:

A clearing agreement is a type of contract that helps to settle monetary claims between creditors and debtors who are in different currency areas. This is done without the need to use foreign-exchange reserves.

For example, let's say that a company in the United States owes money to a company in Japan. Instead of exchanging U.S. dollars for Japanese yen, the two companies could enter into a clearing agreement. This would allow them to settle their debts without having to worry about currency exchange rates or foreign-exchange reserves.

Another example of a clearing agreement is when two banks in different countries agree to settle their debts with each other. This can help to simplify the process of international banking and reduce the need for complex currency exchanges.

Overall, clearing agreements are a useful tool for businesses and financial institutions that need to settle debts across different currency areas. By simplifying the process of monetary exchange, these agreements can help to reduce costs and improve efficiency.