FOREX-Aussie, yuan cede ground as trade deadline looms; pound jumps

* Focus turns to US, China tariff deadline
* Fed, ECB meet this week, UK election on Thursday
* Dollar sentiment positive after firm payrolls
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

(Updates throughout)
By Dhara Ranasinghe
LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The dollar firmed against
trade-sensitive currencies on Monday with worries about
U.S.-China trade tensions resurfacing as a key deadline loomed
large, while Britain's pound strengthened on the latest polls
ahead of this week's election.
Sterling hit a fresh 2-1/2 year high against the euro after
an opinion poll showed the governing Conservative Party has
extended its lead over rivals ahead of Thursday's national
election. Attention shifted to U.S. Federal Reserve and European
Central Bank policy meetings this week.
A fast-approaching deadline for the next wave of U.S.
tariffs on Chinese goods meant some caution in global markets,
benefiting the greenback against currencies sensitive to the
trade war such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars.
Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday
that a Dec. 15 deadline is still in place to impose a new round
of U.S. tariffs on Chinese consumer goods, but President Donald
Trump likes where trade talks with China are going. "If we see Donald Trump decide not to delay tariffs, that
would lead to a risk off reaction in markets," said Nomura
currency strategist Jordan Rochester.
"We don't expect tariffs to go into effect as the talks are
ongoing," he said, adding he did not expect any "fireworks" from
the central bank meetings.
The Australian dollar was down almost a third of a percent
at $0.6823 AUD=D3 , while New Zealand's currency was a fifth of
a percent weaker at $0.6553 NZD=D3 . The offshore Chinese
currency CNH=D3 slipped 0.2% to 7.0355 yuan per dollar.
Data showing China's exports shrank for the fourth
consecutive month in November, underscored persistent pressures
on manufacturers from the Sino-U.S. trade war. "Our base case scenario is for the Trump administration to
announce a postponement of the implementation of the December
tariffs," analysts at MUFG said in a note.
"On the flip side, it seems unlikely for a Phase One deal to
be officially announced before Sunday, although it is still
possible to see one before the end of the year."
The dollar index .DXY drifted 0.1% lower to 97.580 after
rising 0.3% on Friday on news that U.S. nonfarm payrolls
increased by 266,000 jobs last month, the biggest gain in 10
months. Europe's single currency was a touch firmer at $1.1073
EUR= , up from Friday's one-week low of $1.10395.
The dollar changed hands at 108.48 yen JPY= , little
changed on the day.
Friday's jobs numbers were viewed as positive for the
greenback, bolstering expectations that the Fed would this week
continue to signal a pause in its rate-cutting cycle.
"As long as more people are working and getting paid more,
consumer demand is likely to hold up – that should keep the U.S.
economy going and reduce the likelihood of the Fed cutting rates
again," said Marshall Gittler, strategist at ACLS Global.
Indeed, speculators raised their net long bets on the U.S.
dollar in the latest week to a five-month high, according to
calculations by Reuters and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission data released on Friday. Sterling hit a seven-month high at $1.3180 GBP=D3 and a
2-1/2 year peak versus the euro at 83.94 EURGBP=D3 after
latest polls fuelled optimism that Thursday's election will end
near-term Brexit uncertainty. The ruling Conservative Party extended its lead over the
opposition Labour Party to 14 percentage points, up from 9 a
week ago, an opinion poll by Survation showed on Monday.