USD/CAD rises to near 1.3700 as US Dollar trades firmly
- USD/CAD refreshes weekly high near 1.3700 amid strength in the US Dollar.
- Investors await Trump’s announcement regarding fresh tariff rates for over seven countries.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aims to secure deal with the US by July 21.
The USD/CAD pair extends its recovery move to near 1.3700 during European trading hours on Wednesday, the highest level seen in over a week. The Loonie pair bounced back after revisiting nine-month low around 1.3550, following the release of the better-than-projected United States (US) Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for June.
At the time of writing, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, holds onto gains near the weekly high around 97.80.
US Dollar PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Canadian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.18% | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.25% | 0.07% | 0.11% | -0.02% | |
| EUR | -0.18% | -0.13% | -0.14% | 0.08% | -0.07% | -0.07% | -0.08% | |
| GBP | -0.03% | 0.13% | 0.02% | 0.22% | -0.02% | -0.00% | -0.04% | |
| JPY | -0.03% | 0.14% | -0.02% | 0.19% | 0.04% | 0.06% | -0.04% | |
| CAD | -0.25% | -0.08% | -0.22% | -0.19% | -0.12% | -0.14% | -0.16% | |
| AUD | -0.07% | 0.07% | 0.02% | -0.04% | 0.12% | -0.00% | -0.01% | |
| NZD | -0.11% | 0.07% | 0.00% | -0.06% | 0.14% | 0.00% | -0.04% | |
| CHF | 0.02% | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.04% | 0.16% | 0.01% | 0.04% |
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 US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Investors await the announcement of fresh tariff rates for over seven countries by US President Donald Trump who have failed to close a trade deal during the 90-day reciprocal tariff pause.
On Tuesday, US President Trump proposed 50% tariffs on copper imports during the cabinet meeting, a move that will boost domestic production.
Meanwhile, trade talks between the US and Canada are likely going smooth as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled that he will strike a deal in next two weeks. “Aiming to reach a deal with the Us on trade and security by July 21,” Carney said, GlobalNews.ca on Sunday.
On the domestic front, investors await Canadian labor market data for June, which will be released on Friday. The Unemployment Rate is seen accelerating to 7.1% from 7% seen in May. Easing labor market conditions would prompt the need of interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada (BoC).
(This story was corrected on July 9 at 11:48 GMT to say, in the third bullet, that Mark Carney is Canada's prime minister.)
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.
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.
