China’s yuan eases after Trump-Xi meeting, but exports underpin further strength
The dollar index rose slightly to 101.09, flirting with a two-month high
On Monday (Sep 28), China's yuan slipped against the dollar, weakened by indications of mounting economic imbalances as focus turns to fundamentals after President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington. Despite this, analysts expect the yuan to continue appreciating due to China's robust exports, albeit at a slower pace, as higher US interest rates boost the dollar's appeal.
Following the meeting between Chinese and US leaders, trade and geopolitical factors have taken a backseat, at least for now, according to Huatai Futures. The yuan has been on an appreciation trajectory, but with a gentler slope. In late-morning trade, the onshore yuan traded at 6.7142 against the dollar, a 0.03% decrease from the previous session's close.
President Xi's three-day visit to the US ended with the US and China agreeing to cut tariffs on $30 billion of goods each, and initiating a dialogue on AI. Following the tariff reduction agreement, analysts believe Chinese exports will likely remain robust, helping the yuan maintain its strength in the fourth quarter, as per COFCO Futures.
However, the brokerage cautioned about the risks of widening US-China yield spreads and changes in external demand. Huatai Futures also noted that the dollar's support is being bolstered by inflation expectations and rising interest rates. Despite the yuan becoming less sensitive to dollar strength, higher US Treasury yields will curb the yuan's appreciation.
The People's Bank of China vowed on Thursday to stabilize market expectations and warned against herd behavior in the market. Prior to market open, the central bank set the yuan's midpoint at 6.7399 per dollar, the strongest level since Feb 3, 2023.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Companies & Markets's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
