US Dollar Strengthens Following Trump’s Tariff Decision

US President Donald Trump has announced his decision to impose new tariffs:
→ For Canada, tariffs are set at 35%. They are scheduled to take effect on 1 August, although negotiations may take place before this date, potentially influencing Trump’s final stance.
→ For many other countries, tariffs may be set at 15% or 20%;
→ For the European Union, the exact tariff levels have not yet been disclosed.

Overall, Trump’s latest comments have added to the uncertainty surrounding the specific tariffs to be applied to each country. The financial markets reacted as follows:
→ The US dollar strengthened against other currencies (including the Canadian dollar);
→ Equity markets saw a modest decline.

Technical Analysis of the USD/CAD Chart

As soon as the announcement of a 35% tariff on Canadian imports to the US was made public, the USD/CAD rate spiked sharply (as indicated by the arrow), reaching levels last seen at the end of June. In the hours that followed, the pair stabilised.

Taking a broader view, the chart appears to show a triangular formation, which consists of:
→ A descending resistance line (R);
→ A key support level (S) around 1.3570.

From this perspective, it is worth noting that the bulls’ attempt to break above the resistance line amid the 35% tariff news did not succeed, indicating strong selling pressure.

At the same time, the price action of USD/CAD in early July allows us to identify a local support level (marked by the blue line). This suggests that, for now, the pair is consolidating within a formation bounded by the blue support line and resistance line R.

However, how long this consolidation will last, and which direction the breakout will take, will most likely depend on the next round of news regarding US–Canada trade negotiations.

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