The Canadian dollar gained ground against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, supported by higher oil prices but constrained by lingering trade uncertainty.
The currency traded 0.2% stronger at 1.4085 per U.S. dollar, equivalent to 71.00 U.S. cents, marking a partial rebound after sliding to a one-week low of 1.4111 on Tuesday.
Market participants cited recent Canadian inflation data, released on Monday, which showed prices cooled more than expected last month. Separately, the U.S. has imposed 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods, a factor that market participants continue to weigh when assessing the loonie's outlook.
Crude oil, a central export for Canada, firmed on supply concerns tied to the Middle East. Oil prices rose to their highest level in almost six weeks amid worries about potential disruptions to shipping and supply routes. Those concerns were linked to escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran and to threats against shipping posed by the Iran-backed Houthi militia operating out of Yemen.
U.S. crude oil futures were trading 2.3% higher at $86.24 a barrel as traders parsed the geopolitical risk. The rise in oil provided direct support to the Canadian dollar given the country's exposure to energy exports.
At the same time, the U.S. dollar eased from a one-week high against a basket of major currencies. That move in the dollar reflected, in part, market assessments of the likelihood of intervention by the Bank of Japan in the yen, a dynamic that influenced broader currency flows and limited the extent of the loonie's advance.
Overall, the Canadian dollar's uptick on Wednesday reflected a combination of firmer commodity prices and mixed macro signals, with trade measures and currency-market uncertainty acting as headwinds to a more pronounced move higher.
Market context: Oil-driven support for the Canadian dollar was clear, but external forces including tariffs and intervention concerns in other currencies kept gains modest.