* Trump, Xi agree over the weekend to restart trade talks
* Risk assets rally, safe-haven yen, Swiss franc fall
* Offshore yuan nears two-month high, data tempers gains
* U.S. manufacturing index comes in slightly higher than expected
* GRAPHIC-World FX rates in 2019: http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
(Adds comments, updates prices)
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss
NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - The dollar rose to two-week highs on Monday after the
United States and China agreed to resume trade talks, with investors selling safe-haven
currencies such as the Japanese yen and Swiss franc as tensions eased between the world's
two largest economies.
While reports of an agreement had been flagged ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump
and Chinese counterparty Xi Jinping's meeting on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in
Osaka, Japan, the outcome was more positive than investors had expected.
Trump said he would hold back on new tariffs and China will buy more farm products,
and he offered to ease restrictions on tech company Huawei. Market participants, however, remained cautious as the negotiations did not signify
that a deal is imminent.
"Uncertainty will linger," said Kevin Cummins, senior U.S. economist at NatWest
Markets. "As we have learned - from the swift breakdown in talks with China in May after
a deal seemed imminent, as well as the threat of tariffs against Mexico in June even
after a trade deal with Mexico and Canada had been reached - a delay in action now does
not necessarily beget a full trade deal in the near future."
Still, China's offshore yuan also rose more than 0.5% to as high as 6.8165 yuan per
dollar, near a two-month high, before easing back to 6.8476 after disappointing factory
activity data. The dollar also extended gains after data showed the U.S. manufacturing activity
index, as measured by the Institute for Supply Management, came in slightly higher than
expected in June, at 51.7. The details of the report, however, were not so stellar, with the prices paid index,
an inflation indicator, hitting its lowest since February 2016, and the forward-looking
new orders index falling to its weakest since December 2015.
"Although the headline ISM manufacturing index didn't fall as far as feared in June,
the decline in the ... new orders component suggests the worst is still to come," said
Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.
The dollar, which has fallen in recent weeks on rising expectations for Federal
Reserve interest rate cuts, rose 0.8% against a basket of currencies, to 96.848, with the
index hitting 96.867 .DXY , a roughly two-week peak.
The euro, meanwhile, fell 0.8% to $1.1283 EUR= .
The yen, which investors tend to buy when they are looking for safety, fell, pushing
the dollar up 0.5% at 108.47 yen JPY= . Earlier, the dollar hit a two-week high of
108.53 yen.
The dollar also rose against the Swiss franc CHF= , up 1.2 pct to 0.9839 franc,
after hitting a two-week peak of 0.9884.
========================================================
Currency bid prices at 1459 EDT (1859 GMT):
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change Change
Session
Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.1285 $1.1368 -0.73% -1.60% +1.1374 +1.1282
Dollar/Yen JPY= 108.4600 107.8800 +0.54% -1.63% +108.5300 +108.1100
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 122.39 122.65 -0.21% -3.03% +123.3500 +122.3700
Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9874 0.9760 +1.17% +0.62% +0.9884 +0.9783
Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2634 1.2693 -0.46% -0.96% +1.2707 +1.2633
Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3139 1.3090 +0.37% -3.65% +1.3145 +1.3064
Australian/Doll AUD= 0.6957 0.7020 -0.90% -1.31% +0.7036 +0.6957
ar
Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.1144 1.1097 +0.42% -0.99% +1.1161 +1.1120
Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8929 0.8953 -0.27% -0.61% +0.8979 +0.8925
NZ Dollar/Dolar NZD= 0.6667 0.6717 -0.74% -0.74% +0.6731 +0.6665
Dollar/Norway NOK= 8.5862 8.5313 +0.64% -0.60% +8.5894 +8.5106
Euro/Norway EURNOK= 9.6888 9.7025 -0.14% -2.19% +9.7018 +9.6647
Dollar/Sweden SEK= 9.3575 9.2815 +0.05% +4.40% +9.3667 +9.2783
Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.5609 10.5552 +0.05% +2.88% +10.5670 +10.5260
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GRAPHIC-World FX rates in 2019: http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
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