USD/CHF softens below 0.8300 amid US trade confusion
The USD/CHF pair attracts some sellers to near 0.8270 during the early European session on Monday. Trade-related uncertainties between the US and China and persistent geopolitical risks boost the safe-haven demand, benefiting the Swiss Franc (CHF). The preliminary reading of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter (Q1) and the April employment report will be the highlights later this week.
US President Donald Trump said that there has been progress and he has talked with China’s President Xi Jinping. However, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that he did not know if Trump had talked to Xi Jinping. Bessent further stated that he had interactions with Chinese authorities last week but did not mention tariffs. Also, Beijing has denied that trade negotiations are taking place. The uncertainty surrounding trade policy between the world's two largest economies underpins the safe-haven currency like the CHF and acts as a headwind for USD/CHF.
Traders raise their bets that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will resume its rate-cutting cycle in June and lower borrowing costs by one full percentage point in 2025. This, in turn, could drag the Greenback lower. Meanwhile, the Fed remains in blackout mode ahead of its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on May 7.
Traders will keep an eye on the preliminary US Q1 GDP report and April employment data this week, as it might offer some hints about the Fed's next policy decisions and the US economic outlook. The expectation for April is that the US economy will add 130,000 jobs and the Unemployment Rate will remain at 4.2%. If the reports show a stronger-than-expected outcome, this could lift the US Dollar (USD) against the CHF in the near term.
Source: Fxstreet
