Major currencies in holding pattern ahead of US tariff deadline, jobs data

The United States is due to begin collecting tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods at 0401 GMT today

Reuters  |  Tokyo 

Major currencies trod water early on Friday as investor caution prevailed ahead of Washington's implementation of its threatened tariffs on Chinese goods and the US jobs report due later in the day.

"As Wall Street's gains have shown, the have been able to price in the tariff implementation for the most part. But there is always the risk of Trump tweeting something out of the blue, and we also have to worry about the subsequent tariffs," said Yukio Ishizuki, strategist at in

US warned that subsequent rounds of tariffs could apply to more than $500 billion of Chinese goods - roughly the amount that the imported from last year as the world's two largest economies hurtled towards the start of a

The index against a basket of six major currencies was a shade lower at 94.362 after slipping to 94.177, its lowest since June 26, the previous day.

The greenback had come under pressure from a buoyant euro. The euro gained on Thursday on strong German industrial orders and as softened its trade rhetoric towards automakers.

The single was steady at $1.1694 after rising 0.3 per cent overnight, when it touched $1.1721, its strongest since June 26. It was on track to end the week little changed.

The was 0.1 per cent lower at 110.570 yen, having been caught in a relatively narrow 111.14-110.27 range through the week.

"Participants will be looking to shift their attention from trade matters to the US non-farm payrolls and if the jobs report is strong, dollar/yen stands poised to rise and break out of its recent range," Ishizuki at Daiwa said.

The US Labor Department is expected to report increased 195,000 in June after surging by 223,000 in May. Monthly average hourly earnings likely rose 0.3 per cent, which would lift the annual increase to 2.8 per cent from 2.7 per cent in May.

The pound was effectively flat at $ 1.3225. It had risen to a nine-day peak of $1.3275 on Thursday after of England said he was confident an economic slowdown was temporary, but the rise faded on nervousness before Friday's government meeting on Brexit policy. [GBP/]

China's yuan was little changed in offshore trade after dipping 0.2 per cent the previous day.

The yuan had retreated to an 11-month low earlier in the week amid trade concerns before pulling back on assurances by China's central

First Published: Fri, July 06 2018. 09:10 IST