AUD/USD rises slightly above 0.6500 amid risk-on market mood
- AUD/USD trades higher around 0.6500 as upbeat market mood supports the Australian Dollar.
- US-China trade optimism has improved the risk appetite of investors.
- Investors await the US CPI data for September scheduled for Friday.
The AUD/USD pair gains slightly above 0.6500 during the European trading session on Wednesday. The Aussie pair attracts bids as the Australian Dollar (AUD) outperforms its peers amid an increase in the demand for risky assets.
Australian Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Australian Dollar (AUD) against listed major currencies today. Australian Dollar was the strongest against the British Pound.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.02% | 0.37% | -0.17% | -0.12% | -0.14% | -0.16% | -0.02% | |
| EUR | -0.02% | 0.34% | -0.18% | -0.14% | -0.17% | -0.15% | -0.04% | |
| GBP | -0.37% | -0.34% | -0.53% | -0.48% | -0.51% | -0.51% | -0.37% | |
| JPY | 0.17% | 0.18% | 0.53% | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.16% | |
| CAD | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.48% | -0.03% | -0.02% | -0.01% | 0.11% | |
| AUD | 0.14% | 0.17% | 0.51% | -0.02% | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.12% | |
| NZD | 0.16% | 0.15% | 0.51% | -0.02% | 0.00% | -0.01% | 0.12% | |
| CHF | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.37% | -0.16% | -0.11% | -0.12% | -0.12% |
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 Australian Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent AUD (base)/USD (quote).
Investors turn risk-on amid growing United States (US)-China trade deal optimism. S&P 500 futures trade 0.15% higher during European trading hours, indicating decent demand for risky assets.
From past few trading days, US President Donald Trump has been maintaining a positive tone on the outlook of bilateral trade with China.
For fresh cues on US-China trade relations, investors await meeting between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng later this week in Malaysia. Top negotiators from the world’s two largest powerhouses are expected to discuss on the tariff rate, export controls on rate earth minerals and technology sharing etc.
Meanwhile, the US and Australia have signed a deal on critical minerals, which both nations have recognized as a major step towards strengthening ties.
During the European session, the US Dollar (USD) has also extended its upside on US-China trade deal optimism. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, rises to near 99.05.
This week, investors will focus on the delayed US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for September, which will be published on Friday.
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.
Author
Sagar Dua
FXStreet
Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.
