Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24
Canadian Dollar Tumbles 0.6% to C$1.3844 as 50% US Tariffs Threaten Growth
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24

Canadian Dollar Tumbles 0.6% to C$1.3844 as 50% US Tariffs Threaten Growth

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24

Summary

  • C$1.3844 per US dollar marked the loonie’s weakest level in more than two months, leaving it the worst performer among G-10 currencies after US-Canada trade talks collapsed.
  • 50% US tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods are threatening an expected economic pickup, while Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to retaliate dollar for dollar adds to investor concern.
  • CFTC positioning suggests the selloff could extend because hedge funds had recently trimmed bearish loonie bets from a two-year high, leaving room to rebuild short positions.
  • MUFG sees the currency sliding to C$1.41 in the third quarter, while BBH said an escalating trade war could cut expectations for roughly 70 basis points of Canadian rate hikes now priced through June.
  • US rate-cut expectations could still limit a sharper move, with BBH arguing USD/CAD may struggle to overshoot 1.4000 even if the trade conflict deepens.

Insights

With Section 338 bypassing USMCA rules, could this historic 50% tariff escalation push Canada's fragile economy into a full-blown recession?
As retaliation spirals, will the unprecedented use of 1930 tariff laws permanently fracture North American supply chains ahead of the USMCA review?