Dollar slumps after WSJ report; Trump tariffs may be delayed

The US dollar slumped Monday following a report that indicated that President-elect Donald Trump was set to delay imposing trade tariffs immediately upon his inauguration, an expectation which had boosted the US currency following his November election victory.

At 09:20 ET (14:20 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, traded 1.1% lower to 108.020, having climbed to a more than two-year high last week.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Trump is planning to issue a broad memorandum on his inauguration that directs federal agencies to study trade policies and evaluate US trade relationships with China and America’s continental neighbors—but stops short of imposing new tariffs on his first day in office.

The memo, which the WSJ has seen, suggests that debates are still ongoing within the incoming administration over how to deliver on Trump’s campaign trail promises for hefty tariffs on imports from trade rivals such as China. 

The dollar has gained around 4% since the November presidential election as traders anticipated Trump's policies will be inflationary, necessitating higher interest rates for a longer period.

“Financial markets are on tenterhooks to see what executive orders newly elected US President Donald Trump will enact on his first day,” said analysts at ING, in a note.

“FX markets are most interested in what he has to say about tariffs and what kind of pain the Oval Office plans to inflict on major trade partners.”

Source: Investing.com