Trump's familiar rhetoric on trade tariffs has led to renewed concern for Japanese exporters, particularly at a time when Japan's economic stability relies heavily on external support to maintain growth momentum. These concerns, coupled with increased risk aversion, have weakened the yen against the U.S. dollar. As a result, USD/JPY managed to erase losses from the previous week, signaling renewed strength for the dollar.
Technical Analysis From a technical standpoint, USD/JPY has approached a critical level on the daily chart, with buyers testing the resistance at 153.875. This price level represents a key inflection point, as it marks the upper limit of the pair's rally that commenced on September 16. A decisive break above this resistance would open the door for further gains, targeting subsequent levels at 154.582, 155.481, 156.473, and eventually 157.180. On the other hand, a failure to break through the 153.875 resistance level would embolden sellers, putting the focus back on the support levels at 152.883 and 151.277.
Key Events to Monitor The minutes of the Bank of Japan's latest meeting indicated that policymakers remain cautiously optimistic about Japan's economic recovery and see opportunities for future rate hikes. This news has already prompted a reaction in U.S. Treasury yields, with the focus now turning to the upcoming 30-year Treasury bond auction on Wednesday. The outcome of this auction, along with ongoing U.S. election developments, could significantly impact the direction of U.S. yields, thereby affecting USD/JPY price action.