Taiwan Urges Stronger Trade Ties With Fellow Democracies, Rejects Economic Dependence on China 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
South Korea Inflation Hits Five-Month Low as CPI Reaches Central Bank Target 
Asian Currencies Strengthen as Indian Rupee and Australian Dollar Rally 
U.S. Stock Futures Rise as Investors Eye Big Tech Earnings and AI Momentum 
Gold and Asian Stocks Rebound as Market Volatility Eases and Global Sentiment Improves 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
S&P 500 Rises as AI Stocks and Small Caps Rally on Strong Earnings Outlook 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Dollar Holds Firm as Strong U.S. Data, Fed Expectations and Global Central Bank Moves Shape Markets 
China and Uruguay Strengthen Strategic Partnership Amid Shifting Global Order 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Trump Announces U.S.–India Trade Deal Cutting Tariffs, Boosting Markets and Energy Ties 
Japan’s Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Exports Hit Record High in 2025 Despite Tariffs 
Asian currencies and the U.S. dollar weakened on Monday as markets awaited clarity on shifting U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump. Investor sentiment remained cautious after Trump announced plans to send tariff letters to several countries at 12:00 p.m. ET on Monday, adding that BRICS-aligned nations would face an additional 10% tariff due to what he called anti-American actions.
The U.S. Dollar Index slipped 0.2% during Asian trading hours, while futures edged 0.1% lower. The uncertainty around the exact nature and timeline of the tariffs, expected to take effect on August 1, kept market participants on edge. Trump previously introduced a 10% base tariff in April, with potential increases up to 70%.
In currency markets, the South Korean won (USD/KRW) rose 0.4%, the Thai baht (USD/THB) jumped 0.7%, and the Malaysian ringgit (USD/MYR) gained 0.5%. Both the onshore Chinese yuan (USD/CNY) and offshore yuan (USD/CNH) moved up 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. The Japanese yen (USD/JPY), Singapore dollar (USD/SGD), and Indian rupee (USD/INR) all edged 0.1% higher against the U.S. dollar.
Meanwhile, the Australian dollar (AUD/USD) dropped 0.5%, its third consecutive decline, amid rising expectations of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on Tuesday. Analysts anticipate a 25-basis-point reduction, marking the RBA's third cut this year as inflation slows and global economic uncertainty persists. ING analysts noted that while a dovish RBA may weigh on AUD cross-pairs, the AUD/USD pair remains primarily influenced by U.S. trade developments.
Investors are now closely watching the upcoming central bank moves and further trade policy updates for market direction.
