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US President Trump hits Canada on trade, says Hormuz Oil keeps flowing

US President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House, in which he insisted that Canada has been ripping off the US on trade and that it wants to be “treated like a state.”

During the press conference, in addition to discussing Canada, he spoke about Putin and that “millions of barrels of Oil are coming through Hormuz daily.”

Key highlights:

Canada has been ripping US off on trade for a long time.

Canada wants to be treated like state, but not a state.

We don't want Canada to make cars for the US.

Tariffs on (Canadian) cars at a substantial level.

Canada is the worst to deal with on trade.

Putin will not attack nato territory.

Has had good talks with Putin.

On Iran: They're in big trouble.

Russia has behaved quite well with the Strait of Hormuz.

On punishing Putin for Iran business: Who says I'm not

Trump: Millions of barrels of oil are coming through Hormuz daily.

Risk sentiment FAQs

In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off'' refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.

Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.

The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.

The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.

Author

Christian Borjon Valencia

Markets analyst, news editor, and trading instructor with over 14 years of experience across FX, commodities, US equity indices, and global macro markets.

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