NZD/USD advances to near 0.6000 due to rising Trump tariff tensions
- NZD/USD gains ground as the US Dollar depreciates following the Trump’s new tariff threats.
- President Trump plans to increase import tariffs from 25% to 50% to secure the US steel industry.
- RBNZ’s Karen Silk said that rates are now within the neutral 2.5%–3.5% range following last week’s rate cut.
NZD/USD appreciated by more than 0.50%, trading around 0.6000 during the Asian hours on Monday. The pair rises as the US Dollar (USD) remains softer amid increasing concerns regarding slow growth and renewed inflation in the United States (US).
On Friday, President Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania that he planned to double import tariffs on steel and aluminum to build up pressure on global steel producers and intensify trade war. "We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50% - the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States," he said, per Reuters.
Additionally, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, on Thursday, temporarily allowed President Trump's tariffs to take effect. The decision has reversed a Wednesday’s judgement made by a three-judge panel at the Court of International Trade in Manhattan to halt Trump from imposing "Liberation Day" tariffs from taking effect. The federal court found that Trump exceeded his authority in imposing broad import tariffs and declared the executive orders issued on April 2 unlawful.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Assistant Governor Karen Silk said that interest rates are now within the neutral 2.5%–3.5% band after reducing Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points last week. Silk also noted that full effects of past rate cuts still remains to be felt in the domestic economy. Further policy decision will be data dependent, she added.
New Zealand Dollar FAQs
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD), also known as the Kiwi, is a well-known traded currency among investors. Its value is broadly determined by the health of the New Zealand economy and the country’s central bank policy. Still, there are some unique particularities that also can make NZD move. The performance of the Chinese economy tends to move the Kiwi because China is New Zealand’s biggest trading partner. Bad news for the Chinese economy likely means less New Zealand exports to the country, hitting the economy and thus its currency. Another factor moving NZD is dairy prices as the dairy industry is New Zealand’s main export. High dairy prices boost export income, contributing positively to the economy and thus to the NZD.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) aims to achieve and maintain an inflation rate between 1% and 3% over the medium term, with a focus to keep it near the 2% mid-point. To this end, the bank sets an appropriate level of interest rates. When inflation is too high, the RBNZ will increase interest rates to cool the economy, but the move will also make bond yields higher, increasing investors’ appeal to invest in the country and thus boosting NZD. On the contrary, lower interest rates tend to weaken NZD. The so-called rate differential, or how rates in New Zealand are or are expected to be compared to the ones set by the US Federal Reserve, can also play a key role in moving the NZD/USD pair.
Macroeconomic data releases in New Zealand are key to assess the state of the economy and can impact the New Zealand Dollar’s (NZD) valuation. A strong economy, based on high economic growth, low unemployment and high confidence is good for NZD. High economic growth attracts foreign investment and may encourage the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to increase interest rates, if this economic strength comes together with elevated inflation. Conversely, if economic data is weak, NZD is likely to depreciate.
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) tends to strengthen during risk-on periods, or when investors perceive that broader market risks are low and are optimistic about growth. This tends to lead to a more favorable outlook for commodities and so-called ‘commodity currencies’ such as the Kiwi. Conversely, NZD tends to weaken at times of market turbulence or economic uncertainty as investors tend to sell higher-risk assets and flee to the more-stable safe havens.
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