EM: Key battle grounds

USD/CNH is up around 1% as markets price in renewed trade wars, ING’s FX analyst Chris Turner notes.

Emerging markets to remain under pressure

“In our pre-election scenario analysis, we felt something like 7.30 would be the best case for the onshore USD/CNY under a Trump win scenario where local Chinese authorities would not allow further depreciation. We take the view that they would not devalue the renminbi – as they did in summer 2019 – and instead are playing the long game of keeping the renminbi as a store of value to compete on the world stage. However, the renminbi will of course remain under pressure.”

“In Europe, much attention is on the Hungarian forint. It looks like the National Bank of Hungary will have to abandon its easing cycle to concentrate on supporting the forint, where EUR/HUF is moving through 410. Look out for action at National Bank of Hungary open market operations – e.g., leaving the market short of liquidity in an attempt to tighten overnight rates and support the forint. Hungarian forward points look to stay under widening pressure.”

“In Latam, the Mexican peso has been hit hard (off 3%). 2025 could be a rough year for the peso were presumed president Trump to opine about not renewing the USMCA at its review in 2026. High volatility is also undermining the carry trade and it’s hard to rule out a move to 22.00 over coming weeks. Both BRL and CLP had a poor Trump 1.0. Both will be under pressure again but a 50bp rate hike from Brazil today should offer some reprieve.”

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.