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Investing.com-- Asian currencies traded marginally higher on Thursday as traders saw limited impact from President Donald Trump’s attempted firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, while the Indian rupee hovered near record lows amid pressure from secondary U.S. tariffs.
The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, fell 0.2% in Asia hours after trimming most of the gains in the previous session.
US Dollar Index Futures traded 0.1% lower as of 04:02 GMT.
Markets focus on Fed rate path; BoK holds rates steady
President Trump on Tuesday announced the dismissal of Fed Governor Cook, citing alleged mortgage irregularities. The move has raised concerns about the Federal Reserve’s independence and the potential for increased political influence over monetary policy.
Cook has rejected Trump’s authority for the removal, and the case will likely end up in court.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that Trump’s dismissal of Lisa Cook is not going to have a big short-term FX impact,” ING analysts said in a note.
“The implications may only play out in the longer run, as the current focus remains more on data,” they added.
Despite growing worries, forex moves have been subdued as investors remain optimistic about the potential for Fed easing next month.
Traders are currently pricing in an 85% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut next month.
The Japanese yen’s USD/JPY pair edged 0.2% lower on Thursday.
The South Korean won’s USD/KRW fell 0.4% after the country’s central bank held policy interest rates steady at 2.50% for a second straight meeting.
In China, the yuan’s onshore pair USD/CNY ticked down 0.1%, while the offshore pair USD/CNH was largely unchanged.
The Singapore dollar’s USD/SGD also traded marginally lower.
The Australian dollar’s AUD/USD pair rose 0.2%, extending gains after Wednesday’s release of stronger-than-expected inflation data complicated the case for further Reserve Bank of Australia easing.
Indian rupee near record low amid US ups tariff pressure
An additional 25% U.S. tariff on Indian imports took effect Wednesday, doubling the total duty to 50% from August 27, in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian crude.
The Indian rupee’s USD/INR pair was largely muted on Thursday after rising in the four last sessions, nearing record high levels of 87.99 rupees.
The rupee has been under continued pressure since May, when Trump’s tariff salvos rattled markets. The currency has declined consecutively for the last four months, and has fallen for eight weeks in the previous nine.