Dollar Slips Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data and Trump-Xi Trade Developments

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Wednesday as traders awaited key employment data and updates on trade negotiations led by President Donald Trump. The Trump administration set a Wednesday deadline for countries to submit trade offers, coinciding with the start of a 50% tariff on imported steel and aluminum.

Markets are also watching for a possible phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, amid tensions over allegations that both nations breached last month’s tariff rollback agreement.

Despite ongoing trade tensions, macroeconomic indicators have begun influencing dollar movements again. After a manufacturing contraction pushed the dollar down 0.8% on Monday, a surprise surge in U.S. job openings helped it recover nearly the same amount on Tuesday. The JOLTS report, which is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve, showed significantly higher-than-expected figures, boosting sentiment.

By early Wednesday, the dollar dipped 0.09% to 143.82 yen, while the euro gained 0.13% to $1.1385. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major currencies, remained flat at 99.159. Traders are now eyeing the ADP employment report due later in the day, ahead of Friday’s critical non-farm payrolls data.

Joseph Capurso, analyst at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, noted that “job openings were much stronger than expected,” adding that with low expectations for the ADP data, even a small upside surprise could lift the dollar and bond yields.

Elsewhere, the Australian dollar held steady at $0.6460 ahead of GDP data, while South Korea’s won rose 0.2% to 1,375.25 per dollar following the presidential election win of liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung.