empty
12.03.2025 12:43 AM
Commodity Currencies Remain Under Growing Pressure Despite Overall Dollar Weakness. AUD/USD Analysis

The tension caused by the new U.S. administration's aggressive efforts to revise tariffs has also affected Australia. According to NAB, business conditions showed slight improvement in February, with modest increases in trading conditions and profitability. However, there was a significant decline in business confidence, which dropped by 6 points, largely negating the improvement made in January. This brought confidence below the long-term average and back into negative territory.

This image is no longer relevant

Revised data indicated a quarter-on-quarter growth of 0.6% and a year-on-year increase of 1.3%, which slightly exceeded the expectations of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Private consumption grew by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter, which is an improvement over previous quarters, but still insufficient to drive overall economic growth.

For the RBA, the incoming data appears neutral. The rate forecast suggests one more rate cut in May, with a projected final level of 3.1% by 2026. This forecast aligns with market expectations for the Federal Reserve's rate in 2026, indicating no clear driver for future rate divergence. At least for now, this minimizes the likelihood of significant movements in either direction.

U.S. President Trump responded to Canada's introduction of an import tax on electricity from the U.S.—which the Canadian government imposed as a retaliatory measure—by raising tariffs. Duties on Canadian steel and aluminum have now reached 50%. Markets reacted with a decline, and this downturn is likely to spread across the entire commodities sector. Selling anything in the U.S. is becoming increasingly complex, and where else can exports go if not to the U.S.? While Australia does not face a direct threat, there is an indirect risk of declining activity in the mining sector and a potential overall drop in exports, which is a negative outlook for the Aussie.

Net short positions on the AUD increased by $134 million over the reporting week to -$3.034 billion, with positioning remaining bearish. The calculated price is above the long-term average, offering hope for a corrective upward movement.

This image is no longer relevant

The AUD/USD currency pair is currently trading in a sideways range, with the nearest resistance level at 0.6400/20. This target, which was identified last week, remains unachieved. The Australian dollar is lacking the internal momentum necessary for a resurgence, and additional pressure arises from rising concerns about a possible U.S. recession, which is heavily impacting commodity currencies. We anticipate that trading will remain range-bound, with a slightly increased likelihood of a slow movement towards the 0.5400/20 level. However, a strong rally is not expected.

Kuvat Raharjo,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

No Progress in Negotiations

This week, the European Union and the United States made no significant progress in resolving trade disputes, as officials from President Donald Trump's administration indicated that most of the U.S

Jakub Novak 18:48 2025-04-16 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to draw investor attention, particularly in times of heightened uncertainty in financial markets. Trade Uncertainty: Ongoing uncertainty in trade relations between the U.S. and China makes gold

Irina Yanina 11:50 2025-04-16 UTC+2

USD/CHF. Analysis and Forecast

The USD/CHF pair is attracting new sellers today, showing signs of weakness under current economic conditions, driven by several key factors. Weak U.S. Dollar: The U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks

Irina Yanina 11:41 2025-04-16 UTC+2

Time works against market

Time is not on Donald Trump's side, nor the side of the US stock market. The longer the uncertainty surrounding White House policy drags on, the more likely it becomes

Marek Petkovich 11:39 2025-04-16 UTC+2

Confrontation Between the U.S. and China Will Negatively Impact Markets (Potential for Renewed Declines in #NDX and Litecoin)

Market optimism, fueled by Donald Trump's active manipulation of the tariff narrative, was short-lived. Traders remain focused on the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China following the U.S. Department

Pati Gani 11:34 2025-04-16 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 16? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A few macroeconomic events are scheduled for Wednesday, but some important reports will be released. However, the current key issue is not the reports' significance but how the market will

Paolo Greco 07:06 2025-04-16 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – April 16: The Pound Sees No Limits

On Tuesday, the GBP/USD currency pair continued its upward movement. Although this rally was not as strong as last week's surge, the British pound kept rising steadily, with barely

Paolo Greco 03:35 2025-04-16 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – April 16: The Euro Stalls Awaiting New Tariffs

The EUR/USD currency pair mostly remained flat throughout Tuesday. Although both pairs are in an upward trend, the euro and the British pound have recently not been trading in sync

Paolo Greco 03:35 2025-04-16 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Gloomy ZEW Indices Put Pressure on the Euro

The euro reacted negatively to the ZEW indices released on Tuesday, which reflected growing pessimism in the European business environment. The key indicators dropped into negative territory for the first

Irina Manzenko 01:08 2025-04-16 UTC+2

The Euro Scared Itself with Its Own Momentum

The euro's surge to the area of three-year highs became possible thanks to Germany's fiscal stimulus, Donald Trump's trade policy, and a capital outflow from North America into Europe. When

Marek Petkovich 01:08 2025-04-16 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.