|

USD/CAD Forecast: USMCA sends it below 1.2800, levels to watch

  • A new NAFTA is born and renamed as USMCA.
  • The USD/CAD dropped to a four-month low on the relief. 
  • The pair has room to fall, at least until the bottom of the downtrend channel.

In last-minute late-night talks, Canada and the United States reached an agreement on a new version of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It received a new name: the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). Canada agreed to make concessions on opening its dairy market to American farmers while insisting on maintaining the arbitration mechanism, Clause 19. In side letters, the US committed not to slap tariffs on Canada. The northern nation was flabbergasted by the American use of security reasons to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum. 

US President Donald Trump and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau hailed the agreement which still needs to be ratified by the legislatures in both countries. Nevertheless, the currency reaction was swift. 

The USD/CAD kicked off the week with a significant Sunday gap and dropped below 1.2800, trading at the lowest levels since May, a four-month low. The Mexican Peso rallied as well. 

What level should we watch out for?

USD/CAD Technical Analysis

USD CAD Technical analysis October 1 2018

The USD/CAD dropped below the 200-day Simple Moving Average, a meaningful bearish sign. In addition, Momentum is clearly to the downside. At the time of writing, the Relative Strength Index is above 30, thus not representing oversold conditions. All in all, there is room for more drops.

1.2730 is the next level to watch. The pair was supported at or just above these levels throughout the May, thus making it a significant line of support. Further down, 1.2625 capped the pair when it traded on the low ground back in April and when the SMA200 converged with the price.

Lower, 1.250 served as support back in February. Much lower, 1.2250 was the low point in late January and early February.

Looking up, the previous double-bottom of 1.2880 now turns into resistance. It supported the USD/CAD in September and in August. 1.2970 was a support line back in August and now serves as resistance. Above 1.3000, we find 1.3065 as a stubborn level of resistance. The round number of 1.3100 is next.

Author

Yohay Elam

Yohay Elam

FXStreet

Yohay is in Forex since 2008 when he founded Forex Crunch, a blog crafted in his free time that turned into a fully-fledged currency website later sold to Finixio.

More from Yohay Elam
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD moves sideways below 1.1800 on Christmas Eve

EUR/USD struggles to find direction and trades in a narrow channel below 1.1800 after posting gains for two consecutive days. Bond and stock markets in the US will open at the usual time and close early on Christmas Eve, allowing the trading action to remain subdued. 

GBP/USD keeps range around 1.3500 amid quiet markets

GBP/USD keeps its range trade intact at around 1.3500 on Wednesday. The Pound Sterling holds the upper hand over the US Dollar amid pre-Christmas light trading as traders move to the sidelines heading into the holiday season. 

Gold retreats from record highs, trades below $4,500

Gold retreats after setting a new record-high above $4,520 earlier in the day and trades in a tight range below $4,500 as trading volumes thin out ahead of the Christmas break. The US Dollar selling bias remains unabated on the back of dovish Fed expectations, which continues to act as a tailwind for the bullion amid persistent geopolitical risks.

Bitcoin slips below $87,000 as ETF outflows intensify, whale participation declines

Bitcoin price continues to trade around $86,770 on Wednesday, after failing to break above the $90,000 resistance. US-listed spot ETFs record an outflow of $188.64 million on Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive day of withdrawals.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Avalanche struggles near $12 as Grayscale files updated form for ETF

Avalanche trades close to $12 by press time on Wednesday, extending the nearly 2% drop from the previous day. Grayscale filed an updated form to convert its Avalanche-focused Trust into an ETF with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.