EUR/USD loses ground to near 1.1290 in Friday’s early Asian session.
US seeks tariff talks with China, raising hope for a de-escalation trade war.
Traders await the US April Nonfarm Payrolls report later on Friday.
The EUR/USD pair softens to around 1.1290 during the early Asian session on Friday. The US Dollar (USD) edges higher against the Euro (EUR) amid optimism about a de-escalation in the global trade conflict. All eyes will be on the US April Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report, which is due later on Friday.
A social media account affiliated with Chinese state media said on Thursday the United States (USA) has reached out toChina to begin negotiations regarding US President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs. US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, also expressed hope for progress in easing trade tensions. This, in turn, provides some support to the Greenback and creates a headwind for the major pair.
US data released on Thursday were mixed. The US weekly Initial Jobless Claims for the week ended April 26 rose by 241,000, compared to the previous week's 223,000 (revised from 222,000), according to the US Department of Labor.This figure came in above the market consensus of 224,000. Meanwhile, the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) declined to 48.7 in April from 49.0 in March, beating the market expectation of 48.
On the Euro front, traders have almost priced in a 25 basis points (bps) rate cut by the European Central Bank (ECB) in the June policy meeting. ECB officials have forecasted a further slowdown in inflation and economic growth in response to tariffs imposed by the US on its trade partners. The rising bets of further ECB rate cuts might weigh on the shared currency in the near term.
The US NFP report will take center stage later on Friday. The US is expected to have added 130K new job positions in April, while the Unemployment Rate is estimated to stay at 4.2%, unchanged from March. In the case of a softer-than-expected reading, this could undermine the USD against the EUR.
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