Dollar Slides to Three-Year Low

The dollar index experienced a decline of over 1%, reaching 99.7 on Friday—its lowest point in nearly three years—as investors increasingly moved away from US assets. Heightened trade tensions and escalating worries about the broader economic repercussions, particularly for the United States, have significantly dampened market sentiment. On Friday, China’s finance ministry unveiled plans to increase tariffs on US imports to 125%, up from the previous rate of 84%, directly countering Washington’s decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to a maximum of 145%. Additionally, the US maintains a tariff of 10% on imports from most countries and continues to impose a 25% duty on steel, aluminum, and automobiles. Although the 90-day truce announced by President Trump briefly reignited hopes for renewed trade negotiations, concerns about an impending recession are intensifying. The dollar notably weakened against the euro and traditional safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen and plunged to a 14-year low against the Swiss franc.