AUD/USD has eased back toward 0.6550 as investors await China’s upcoming Trade Balance report, a key indicator for Australia’s export-driven economy. The pair lost some of its earlier momentum this week amid cautious risk sentiment fueled by mixed signals from global growth data and central banks.
China, Australia’s largest trading partner, plays an outsized role in AUD price dynamics. Consensus forecasts anticipate a $104.5 billion trade surplus for China in June, up from $82.6 billion previously. A robust surplus would signal solid Chinese demand for commodities such as iron ore and LNG, typically propping up the AUD. However, recent Chinese PMI data has tempered enthusiasm as manufacturing activity showed signs of softness. Any downside surprise in the trade figures could reignite doubts about China’s growth outlook and weigh on the commodity-linked Australian dollar.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar has remained steady, supported by the Federal Reserve’s ongoing commitment to higher interest rates to tackle persistent inflation pressures. With US Nonfarm Payrolls data due soon, markets are parsing labor market resilience for clues on the Fed’s policy path. Strong US data tends to bolster the USD and put pressure on commodity currencies like the AUD.
Technical charts show the AUD/USD struggling to maintain footing above the 0.6550 level, a