Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Tuesday as renewed U.S.-China trade tensions kept markets on edge. The dollar remained steady ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming address, while regional currencies struggled to recover from steep losses in the previous session.
Market sentiment soured after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting a strong response from Beijing. China’s Ministry of Commerce warned that it would “fight to the end” in any trade conflict with the United States. Despite diplomatic efforts to ease concerns, traders remained cautious amid fears of escalating trade hostilities between the two largest economies.
The Chinese yuan weakened slightly, with the USD/CNY pair rising 0.1%, reflecting investor anxiety. Trade data released Monday showed that China’s exports remained resilient despite 50% tariffs, as exporters diverted shipments to other Asian and European markets.
Elsewhere, the Japanese yen slipped slightly against the dollar (USD/JPY), weighed down by expectations of increased fiscal spending under incoming Prime Minister Sane Takaichi. However, her leadership faced uncertainty after a key coalition partner withdrew support. The South Korean won (USD/KRW) was largely unchanged, while the Australian dollar (AUD/USD) fell 0.3%. The Indian rupee (USD/INR) remained above 88, pressured by weaker consumer inflation data that fueled speculation of further rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index eased 0.1% as traders awaited Powell’s remarks at the National Association for Business Economics meeting. The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has delayed key economic data, deepening uncertainty ahead of the Fed’s late-October meeting, where another 25 basis-point rate cut is expected.
The Singapore dollar (USD/SGD) held steady after stronger-than-expected third-quarter GDP growth. The Monetary Authority of Singapore maintained its policy stance, citing stable growth and limited fallout from trade tariffs, though economic momentum cooled compared to the previous quarter.
