USD/CAD holds below 1.4300 ahead of US CPI release
- USD/CAD softens to near 1.4280 in Tuesday’s late American session.
- Fed's Powell said the central bank is in no rush to cut rates again.
- White House said 25% steel tariffs would stack on top of other levies.
The USD/CAD pair trades with mild negative bias around 1.4280 during the late American session on Tuesday. The US Dollar (USD) weakens as Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony before Congress wasn’t as hawkish as expected. Later on Wednesday, the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data will take center stage.
In his semi-annual report to Congress, Fed’s Powell said the Fed officials “do not need to be in a hurry" to cut interest rates due to strength in the job market and solid economic growth. He added that US President Donald Trump's tariff policies could put more upward pressure on prices, making it harder for the central bank to lower rates. On Monday, Trump ordered 25% tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum. He's also threatened widespread taxes on other imports.
Trump stated on Sunday that he plans to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the US, on top of existing metals duties. Traders will closely monitor the developments surrounding trade tariff policies. The concerns about the impact of any new trade levies could weigh on the commodities-linked Loonie as Canada is a major exporter of steel and aluminium to the US.
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.