US Pres. Trump forms a 12-member Coronavirus Task Force, Asia risk-off in full swing


Amid reports of fresh containment efforts over the China coronavirus outbreak internationally, Reuters cites that the US President Trump has formed a 12-member Coronavirus Tasks Force.

According to the US officials, around 200 in the group, mostly US diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Wuhan and flown into the US aboard a government-chartered plane were medically screened by Chinese government and US officials before boarding the plane in Wuhan.

They have agreed to remain voluntarily in special housing at the military base, cordoned off from base personnel, for 72 hours, the officials added.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government is planning an evacuation of its citizens from Wuhan at the earliest, adding that the evacuees will be quarantined for at least 14 days.

New Zealand announced to charter a 300-seat aircraft to evacuate nationals from Wuhan, with 53 New Zealanders confirmed in the epicenter.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said that it will return 92 Singaporeans from Wuhan, China on a flight on Thursday.

Also, following the comments from the Taiwanese Deputy Finance Minister earlier today, a Taiwan central bank official is now saying that they will continue to keep a close watch on forex market fluctuations.

Market Implications

The 5% slump in the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) is spilling over to its Asian peers, with the Japanese benchmark, the Nikkei 225, down 2% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng sheds nearly 2%.

Across the Asia-pac fx space, USD/JPY is tracking the losses in the S&P 500 futures, Asian equities and US Treasury yields and now targets the 108.70 support area. The Aussie is at three-month lows of 0.6731. The Kiwi attacks 0.6500, down 0.25%.

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.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD on the defensive around 1.0400 after upbeat US data

EUR/USD on the defensive around 1.0400 after upbeat US data

EUR/USD is under mild selling pressure around the 1.0400 mark following the release of upbeat United States data. Q3 GDP was upwardly revised to 3.1% from 2.8% previously, while weekly unemployment claims improved to 220K in the week ending December 13. 

EUR/USD News
GBP/USD struggles around 1.2600 after BoE rate decision

GBP/USD struggles around 1.2600 after BoE rate decision

GBP/USD retreated from its daily peak and battles around 1.2600 following the Bank of England monetary policy decision. The BoE kept the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.75% as expected, but the accompanying statement leaned to dovish. Three out of nine MPC members opted for a cut. 

GBP/USD News
Gold price resumes slide, pierces the $2,600 level

Gold price resumes slide, pierces the $2,600 level

Gold resumes its decline after the early advance and trades below $2,600 early in the American session. Stronger than anticipated US data and recent central banks' outcomes fuel demand for the US Dollar. XAU/USD nears its weekly low at $2,582.93. 

Gold News
Aave Price Forecast: Poised for double-digit correction as holders book profit

Aave Price Forecast: Poised for double-digit correction as holders book profit

Aave (AAVE) price hovers around $343 on Thursday after correcting more than 6% this week. The recent downturn has led to $5.13 million in total liquidations, 84% of which were from long positions. 

Read more
Fed-ECB: 2025, the great decoupling?

Fed-ECB: 2025, the great decoupling?

The year 2024 was marked by further progress in disinflation in both the United States and the Eurozone, sufficient to pave the way for rate cuts. The Fed and the ECB did not quite follow the same timetable and tempo, but by the end of the year, the cumulative size of their rate cuts is the same: 100 basis points.

Read more
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.

Read More

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures