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- USD/JPY softens to near 157.65 in Wednesday’s Asian session.
- Trump said he is pausing the operation that helps ships leave the Strait of Hormuz.
- Traders remain cautious after suspected intervention.
The USD/JPY pair loses ground to around 157.65 during the Asian trading hours on Wednesday. The US Dollar (USD) weakens against the Japanese Yen (JPY) after US President Donald Trump announces a pause on ‘Project Freedom’ in the Strait of Hormuz. The US April ADP Employment Change report will be released later on Wednesday.
Trump said on Tuesday that Iran and the US have mutually agreed that while the US blockade “will remain in full force and effect,” Project Freedom will be paused. Trump further stated that this was to see if an agreement between the two countries can be finalized and signed. US President noted the decision was made at the request of Pakistan and other countries and follows what he called “tremendous military success” during a US campaign against Iran.
Markets remain on high alert following suspected interventions by Japanese authorities. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Japan can take action against speculative foreign-exchange movements. “It’s probably going to take another round of significant intervention to push the dollar more significantly lower,” said Shaun Osborne, chief currency strategist at Scotiabank.
The US employment data for April will be in the spotlight on Friday. This report could influence interest rate expectations and the pair’s next move. Economists expect the US economy to have added 60,000 jobs in April, while the Unemployment Rate is estimated to hold steady at 4.3 during the same period. Any signs of improvement in the US labor market could lift the Greenback against the JPY in the near term.
