Select Language

US Dollar hit hard as markets digest Trump's tariff announcement

Breaking news

US Dollar hit hard as markets digest Trump's tariff announcement

  • X
  • facebook
  • LINE
  • RSS

  • X
  • facebook
  • LINE
  • RSS
New update 2025.04.03 20:36
US Dollar hit hard as markets digest Trump's tariff announcement

update 2025.04.03 20:36

  • The Greenback loses ground against all major currencies on Thursday as markets digest Trump's tariff announcement 
  • President Trump announced a base 10% tariff for all countries exporting goods to the US and additional levies per country. 
  • The US Dollar Index is hit hard and falls below the 102.00 level. 

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, is having a really bad day, trading at levels not seen since early October around 101.800 and correcting near 1.80% at the time of writing on Thursday. The US Dollar is being kicked out of portfolios while investors repatriate cash as they sell their stakes in US Equities amidst a harsh correction globally. 

Markets are digesting the reciprocal tariffs that were implemented overnight by the United States (US) President Donald Trump, where a global 10% tariff is the minimum base case for the 60 countries that are exporting to the US. From there, all other earlier tariffs remain in place, which means, for example, a total of  54% tariff on China applicable as of this Thursday. Meanwhile, the daily economic calendar continues with the US weekly Jobless Claims, ISM Services print and the Challenger Job Cuts for March to be released. 

Daily digest market movers: Data could accelerate further moves

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented, after the announcement of reciprocal tariffs by Trump, that tariffs could quickly be lifted or removed if countries bring back their production to the US. Bessent issued a statement as well, saying that it's best for countries not to retaliate as this could be considered the worst-case scenario if they want to avoid more tariffs. 
  • The US Challenger Job Cuts for March are seeing further cuts, coming in at 275,240 with the previous release at 172,017. 
  • At 12:30 GMT, US weekly Jobless Claims data is due. Initial Claims are expected to remain stable at 225,000, coming from 224,000. The Continuing Claims has no forecast and was at 1.856 million previously. 
  • At 13:45 GMT, US S&P Global will release the final Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reading for March. Expectations are for a steady 54.3.
  • At 14:00 GMT, the US Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will release the March Services report:
    • Services PMI is expected to drop to 53.0, coming from 53.5.
    • No forecast available for the Employment component with the previous reading at 53.9.
    • New Orders has no survey available, it came in at  52.2 previously.
    • Prices Paid has no forecast available either, with the previous reading at 62.6. 
  • Equities are facing sharp corrections on the back of the overnight headlines. European futures are down between 1% and 2%, while US ones are down even more than 3% - for example, the Nasdaq - before the opening bell. 
  • According to the CME Fedwatch Tool, the probability of interest rates remaining at the current range of 4.25%-4.50% in May's meeting is 74.7%. For June's meeting, the odds for borrowing costs being lower stand at 72.5%.
  • The US 10-year yields trade around 4.06%, a fresh five-month low as a massive flight to safe haven Bonds is taking place. 

US Dollar Index Technical Analysis: On its way to 100.00

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is finally coming alive after consolidating around the 103.00-104.00 range for nearly a month. With this shock effect in markets, the DXY falls below the 102.00 cushion and tests the support of the 101.90 technical level on Thursday. Once that level breaks, another chunky area will open up for further devaluation of the Greenback, with the 100.00 round level as a downside target. 

With the sizable downward move on Thursday, some support levels have turned into resistance. The first level to watch out for comes in at 103.18, which has held as support throughout March. Above there, the 104.00 pivotal level and the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 104.90 come into play. 

On the downside, 101.90 is the first line of defense, and it should be able to trigger a bounce as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) momentum indicator is issuing warnings of oversold conditions in the daily chart. Maybe not this Thursday, but in the coming days, a break below 101.90 could see a leg lower towards 100.00. 

US Dollar Index: Daily Chart

US-China Trade War FAQs

Generally speaking, a trade war is an economic conflict between two or more countries due to extreme protectionism on one end. It implies the creation of trade barriers, such as tariffs, which result in counter-barriers, escalating import costs, and hence the cost of living.

An economic conflict between the United States (US) and China began early in 2018, when President Donald Trump set trade barriers on China, claiming unfair commercial practices and intellectual property theft from the Asian giant. China took retaliatory action, imposing tariffs on multiple US goods, such as automobiles and soybeans. Tensions escalated until the two countries signed the US-China Phase One trade deal in January 2020. The agreement required structural reforms and other changes to China's economic and trade regime and pretended to restore stability and trust between the two nations. However, the Coronavirus pandemic took the focus out of the conflict. Yet, it is worth mentioning that President Joe Biden, who took office after Trump, kept tariffs in place and even added some additional levies.

The return of Donald Trump to the White House as the 47th US President has sparked a fresh wave of tensions between the two countries. During the 2024 election campaign, Trump pledged to impose 60% tariffs on China once he returned to office, which he did on January 20, 2025. With Trump back, the US-China trade war is meant to resume where it was left, with tit-for-tat policies affecting the global economic landscape amid disruptions in global supply chains, resulting in a reduction in spending, particularly investment, and directly feeding into the Consumer Price Index inflation.


Date

Created

 : 2025.04.03

Update

Last updated

 : 2025.04.03

Related articles


Show more

FXStreet

Financial media

arrow
FXStreet

FXStreet is a forex information website, delivering market analysis and news articles 24/7.
It features a number of articles contributed by well-known analysts, in addition to the ones by its editorial team.
Founded in 2000 by Francesc Riverola, a Spanish economist, it has grown to become a world-renowned information website.

Was this article helpful?

We hope you find this article useful. Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  
We are also looking for writers with extensive experience in forex and crypto to join us.

please contact us at [email protected].

Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you for your feedback.

Most viewed

WTI struggles near multi-week low, below $66.00 amid rising trade tensions

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Crude Oil prices trade with negative bias for the fourth straight day on Friday and slide back below the $66.00/barrel mark during the Asian session.
New
update2025.04.04 14:18

Nonfarm Payrolls forecast: US job growth set to ease in March amid economic uncertainty

The all-important United States (US) Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for March will be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday at 12:30 GMT.
New
update2025.04.04 14:00

AUD/USD plummets below mid-0.6200s as trade-war fears lift RBA rate cut bets

The AUD/USD pair comes under intense selling pressure during the Asian session on Friday and retreats further from a nearly three-week high, around the 0.6400 neighborhood touched the previous day.
New
update2025.04.04 13:32

Gold price hovers $3,100; bullish bias remains ahead of US NFP report

Gold price (XAU/USD) struggles to capitalize on the previous day's late rebound from the $3,054 area, or a one-week low, and attracts fresh sellers during the Asian session on Friday.
New
update2025.04.04 13:19

USD/CAD hangs near multi-month low, below 1.4100 ahead of US/Canadian jobs data

The USD/CAD pair remains under some selling pressure for the fourth straight day on Friday and currently trades around the 1.4070 area, down 0.15% for the day.
New
update2025.04.04 11:54

USD/INR holds steady as traders brace for US NFP release

The Indian Rupee (INR) trades flat on Friday after gaining in the previous session. A robust recovery in local equities could provide some support to the Indian currency.
New
update2025.04.04 11:53

Japanese Yen seems poised to appreciate further amid a global meltdown

The Japanese Yen (JPY) edges lower during the Asian session on Friday amid worries about the potential economic fallout from US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs.
New
update2025.04.04 11:18

BoJ's Ueda says US tariffs likely to exert downward pressure on Japan, global economies

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said early Friday that US tariffs are likely to exert downward pressure on Japan and the global economies.
New
update2025.04.04 10:19

AUD/USD posts modest gains above 0.6300 as Trump tariffs fuel recession fears

The AUD/USD pair edges higher to around 0.6330 during the early Asian session on  Friday. The US Dollar (USD) weakens against the Australian Dollar (AUD) as US President Donald Trump's fresh trade tariffs stoke fears of a global recession.
New
update2025.04.04 10:02

BoJ's Uchida says will raise rates if inflation rises and economy improves

Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said on Friday that the central bank will raise interest rates if underlying inflation heightens against the background of continued improvements in the economy. 
New
update2025.04.04 09:36

Disclaimer:arw

All information and content provided on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to solicit any investment. Although all efforts are made in order to ensure that the information is correct, no guarantee is provided for the accuracy of any content on this website. Any decision made shall be the responsibility of the investor and Myforex does not take any responsibility whatsoever regarding the use of any information provided herein.

The content provided on this website belongs to Myforex and, where stated, the relevant licensors. All rights are reserved by Myforex and the relevant licensors, and no content of this website, whether in full or in part, shall be copied or displayed elsewhere without the explicit written permission of the relevant copyright holder. If you wish to use any part of the content provided on this website, please ensure that you contact Myforex.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LINE

Myforex uses cookies to improve the convenience and functionality of this website. This website may include cookies not only by us but also by third parties (advertisers, log analysts, etc.) for the purpose of tracking the activities of users. Cookie policy

I agree
share
Share
Cancel