EUR/USD drops as German inflation cools down in March


  • EUR/USD edges lower around 1.0800, focusing on Trump’s reciprocal tariff measures to be released on Wednesday.
  • This week, the US Dollar will also be influenced by the US ISM PMI and a slew of employment-related data, ending with the NFP for March on Friday.
  • The EU Commission agrees to provide a ‘term sheet’ of concessions for the US.

EUR/USD ticks lower to near 1.0800 in Monday’s North American session after the release of the soft preliminary German Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) data. In 12 months to March, the HICP rose at a slower pace of 2.3% compared to estimates of 2.4% and the prior release of 2.6%. Month-on-month HICP grew at a moderate pace of 0.4% against the former reading of 0.5%. On Friday, France and Spain's March preliminary inflation data also showed that price pressures rose at a slower-than-expected pace.

Earlier in the day, six states of Germany had indicated mixed flash Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for March. Year-on-year inflation in Germany states: Saxony and Hesse accelerated, but it slowed in Baden-Wuettemberg and Bavaria. Price pressures grew steadily in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Theoretically, cooling inflationary pressures in the Eurozone should boost market expectations that the European Central Bank (ECB) will cut interest rates again in the April policy meeting. However, investors expect their impact to be limited on the monetary policy outlook as investors anticipate a resurgence in inflation and a slowdown in economic growth in the Eurozone due to United States (US) President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.

ECB policymaker and Governor of Bank of Italy said in a speech in Rome during European trading hours that the "fight against inflation cannot be considered over" due to increased uncertainty, especially "contradictory US policy announcements", which calls for "caution on further interest rate cuts".

Donald Trump is poised to announce planned reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday. Investors expect Trump to slap significant tariffs on the Eurozone as he has criticized the European Union (EU) for not buying American goods.

In 2024, Ireland and Germany were the fourth and fifth, respectively, largest nations having trade surplus with the US, according to the World Population Review. Trump's higher import duties on the Eurozone would significantly impact its economic growth. During European trading hours, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde stated that any ensuing trade war would be a lose-lose scenario and lower Eurozone growth by at least 0.3%.

Last week, Trump also imposed 25% tariffs on imports of foreign cars and light trucks, which will come into effect on Wednesday. In response, the EU Commission warned of retaliatory measures but later agreed to provide concessions to the US to secure the partial removal of tariffs that have already hit and are expected to increase further on April 2, Bloomberg reported.

Euro PRICE Today

The table below shows the percentage change of Euro (EUR) against listed major currencies today. Euro was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.

  USD EUR GBP JPY CAD AUD NZD CHF
USD   0.23% 0.02% -0.15% 0.48% 0.78% 0.80% 0.24%
EUR -0.23%   -0.10% -0.36% 0.29% 0.63% 0.61% 0.06%
GBP -0.02% 0.10%   -0.27% 0.44% 0.73% 0.74% 0.20%
JPY 0.15% 0.36% 0.27%   0.63% 0.97% 0.98% 0.30%
CAD -0.48% -0.29% -0.44% -0.63%   0.33% 0.32% -0.24%
AUD -0.78% -0.63% -0.73% -0.97% -0.33%   0.00% -0.56%
NZD -0.80% -0.61% -0.74% -0.98% -0.32% -0.00%   -0.56%
CHF -0.24% -0.06% -0.20% -0.30% 0.24% 0.56% 0.56%  

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 Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/USD (quote).

Daily digest market movers: EUR/USD ticks lower as US Dollar gains 

  • The cautious trend in the EUR/USD pair is also driven by a slight upside in the US Dollar (USD) ahead of Trump's reciprocal tariff announcemnet on Liberation Day. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, rebounds to near 104.20 after posting a fresh 10-day low around 103.75 earlier in the day.
  • Financial market participants expect that Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will be unfavorable for economic growth and will reignite inflation across the globe, including the US. According to the Washington Post, the President keeps telling his advisers to increase trade measures, and in recent days, he has brought back the idea of a universal tariff that would be applicable to most imports, no matter which country they come from.
  • The Washington Post also showed that US President Trump expressed regret for not imposing broader tariffs in his first term and was confident that levies would be a win for the US. Higher import duties will bring back manufacturing jobs and add trillions in government revenue.
  • This week, investors will also focus on a slew of US economic data, such as the ISM Manufacturing and Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) and labor market-related indicators, which will influence market speculation for the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy outlook.
  • According to the CME FedWatch tool, the Fed is expected to keep interest rates at their current levels in the May policy meeting. However, the probability for an interest rate cut in June has increased to 83.5% from 65.6% recorded a week ago.

Technical Analysis: EUR/USD stays above 20-day EMA

EUR/USD trades indecisively around 1.0800 at the start of the week. The near-term outlook of the pair remains firm as it holds the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which trades around 1.0773.

The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) cools down below 60.00, suggesting that the bullish momentum is over, but the upside bias is intact.

Looking down, the December 6 high of 1.0630 will act as the major support zone for the pair. Conversely, the psychological level of 1.1000 will be the key barrier for the Euro bulls.

ECB FAQs

The European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, is the reserve bank for the Eurozone. The ECB sets interest rates and manages monetary policy for the region. The ECB primary mandate is to maintain price stability, which means keeping inflation at around 2%. Its primary tool for achieving this is by raising or lowering interest rates. Relatively high interest rates will usually result in a stronger Euro and vice versa. The ECB Governing Council makes monetary policy decisions at meetings held eight times a year. Decisions are made by heads of the Eurozone national banks and six permanent members, including the President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde.

In extreme situations, the European Central Bank can enact a policy tool called Quantitative Easing. QE is the process by which the ECB prints Euros and uses them to buy assets – usually government or corporate bonds – from banks and other financial institutions. QE usually results in a weaker Euro. QE is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the objective of price stability. The ECB used it during the Great Financial Crisis in 2009-11, in 2015 when inflation remained stubbornly low, as well as during the covid pandemic.

Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse of QE. It is undertaken after QE when an economic recovery is underway and inflation starts rising. Whilst in QE the European Central Bank (ECB) purchases government and corporate bonds from financial institutions to provide them with liquidity, in QT the ECB stops buying more bonds, and stops reinvesting the principal maturing on the bonds it already holds. It is usually positive (or bullish) for the Euro.


BRANDED CONTENT

Finding the right broker for trading EUR/USD is crucial, and we've identified the top choices for this major currency pair. Read about their unique features to make an informed decision.

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

Gold leaps toward $3,450 as Israel launches attacks on Iran

Gold leaps toward $3,450 as Israel launches attacks on Iran

Gold price rises to over five-month highs, nearing $3,450 in the Asian trading hours on Friday. Israel confirmed strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, fuelling a broad wave of risk aversion while driving the safe-haven Gold price through the roof. Rising Fed rate cut bets also underpin the non-yielding Gold. 

AUD/USD remains heavy below 0.6500 amid intense risk aversion on Israel-Iran confict

AUD/USD remains heavy below 0.6500 amid intense risk aversion on Israel-Iran confict

AUD/USD is off the low but remains heavy below 0.6500 in Friday's risk-off Asian affair. Trump's fresh tariff news and escalating Israel-Iran geopolitical tensions weigh on investors' sentiment and the risk-sensitive Aussie. Broad US Dollar rebound also adds to the pair's downside. 

USD/JPY holds losses near 143.00 amid geopolitical risks

USD/JPY holds losses near 143.00 amid geopolitical risks

USD/JPY keeps the red near 143.00, reversing a quick dip to the 142.80 region in Asian trading on Friday. The global risk sentiment takes a hit amid an escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which boosts the Japanese Yen's safe-haven status. 

Solana dips 10% despite DeFi Development Corp's plan to raise $5 billion to boost SOL treasury

Solana dips 10% despite DeFi Development Corp's plan to raise $5 billion to boost SOL treasury

Solana is down 10% on Thursday after DeFi Development Corporation announced an equity line of credit agreement with RK Capital Management to raise $5 billion in sales of its shares to stack additional SOL.

US tariffs here to stay, trade deals ‘largely symbolic’

US tariffs here to stay, trade deals ‘largely symbolic’

Despite legal challenges to IEEPA tariffs, US trade policy remains firm. Tariffs on steel and aluminium have doubled, and new sectoral tariffs are expected. Trade deals may emerge, but most will be symbolic. Effective tariff rates will stay high throughout 2025.

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures

Best Brokers of 2025