USD/CAD corrects to near 1.4420 as US-Canada enters trade war
- USD/CAD falls sharply to near 1.4420 as Canadian PM Trudeau announced retaliatory tariffs on the US.
- On Monday, US President Trump confirmed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
- The US Dollar faces sharp selling pressure as Fed dovish bets swell.
The USD/CAD pair corrects sharply to near 1.4420 in European trading hours on Tuesday from the monthly high of 1.4542 posted on Monday. The Loonie pair declines as the Canadian Dollar (CAD) outperforms across the board after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced retaliatory tariffs on the United States (US).
Canadian Dollar PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Canadian Dollar (CAD) against listed major currencies today. Canadian Dollar was the strongest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.34% | -0.15% | -0.48% | -0.54% | -0.08% | -0.22% | -0.59% | |
| EUR | 0.34% | 0.19% | -0.13% | -0.20% | 0.27% | 0.12% | -0.27% | |
| GBP | 0.15% | -0.19% | -0.32% | -0.39% | 0.08% | -0.07% | -0.44% | |
| JPY | 0.48% | 0.13% | 0.32% | -0.06% | 0.40% | 0.25% | -0.12% | |
| CAD | 0.54% | 0.20% | 0.39% | 0.06% | 0.46% | 0.33% | -0.06% | |
| AUD | 0.08% | -0.27% | -0.08% | -0.40% | -0.46% | -0.14% | -0.53% | |
| NZD | 0.22% | -0.12% | 0.07% | -0.25% | -0.33% | 0.14% | -0.38% | |
| CHF | 0.59% | 0.27% | 0.44% | 0.12% | 0.06% | 0.53% | 0.38% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Canadian Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent CAD (base)/USD (quote).
Canadian Justin Trudeau has announced that Canada would immediately impose 25% tariffs on C$30 billion worth of US imports if US tariffs go into effect. Trudeau added that tariffs on the remaining C$125 billion of products will “come into effect in 21 days”. Reuters report.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he would impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Trump told reporters, “No room left for Mexico or for Canada.” He added, “The tariffs—you know, they’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) underperforms as traders have become increasingly confident that the Federal Reserve (Fed) could cut interest rates in the June meeting. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, declines to near the 11-week low of 106.15.
Fed dovish bets have escalated due to an expected slowdown in the United States (US) core Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index (PCE) data in January, the first decline in the Personal Spending data for January in two years, and a sharp decline in the Consumer Confidence and weak ISM Manufacturing PMI data for February.
Canadian Dollar FAQs
The key factors driving the Canadian Dollar (CAD) are the level of interest rates set by the Bank of Canada (BoC), the price of Oil, Canada’s largest export, the health of its economy, inflation and the Trade Balance, which is the difference between the value of Canada’s exports versus its imports. Other factors include market sentiment – whether investors are taking on more risky assets (risk-on) or seeking safe-havens (risk-off) – with risk-on being CAD-positive. As its largest trading partner, the health of the US economy is also a key factor influencing the Canadian Dollar.
The Bank of Canada (BoC) has a significant influence on the Canadian Dollar by setting the level of interest rates that banks can lend to one another. This influences the level of interest rates for everyone. The main goal of the BoC is to maintain inflation at 1-3% by adjusting interest rates up or down. Relatively higher interest rates tend to be positive for the CAD. The Bank of Canada can also use quantitative easing and tightening to influence credit conditions, with the former CAD-negative and the latter CAD-positive.
The price of Oil is a key factor impacting the value of the Canadian Dollar. Petroleum is Canada’s biggest export, so Oil price tends to have an immediate impact on the CAD value. Generally, if Oil price rises CAD also goes up, as aggregate demand for the currency increases. The opposite is the case if the price of Oil falls. Higher Oil prices also tend to result in a greater likelihood of a positive Trade Balance, which is also supportive of the CAD.
While inflation had always traditionally been thought of as a negative factor for a currency since it lowers the value of money, the opposite has actually been the case in modern times with the relaxation of cross-border capital controls. Higher inflation tends to lead central banks to put up interest rates which attracts more capital inflows from global investors seeking a lucrative place to keep their money. This increases demand for the local currency, which in Canada’s case is the Canadian Dollar.
Macroeconomic data releases gauge the health of the economy and can have an impact on the Canadian Dollar. Indicators such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment, and consumer sentiment surveys can all influence the direction of the CAD. A strong economy is good for the Canadian Dollar. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the Bank of Canada to put up interest rates, leading to a stronger currency. If economic data is weak, however, the CAD is likely to fall.
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