FOREX-Dollar firms versus major currencies ahead of Trump impeachment vote, German Ifo survey

* Euro, pound fall versus dollar
* Chinese yuan below 7 vs dollar as US, China trade optimism
wanes
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

By Olga Cotaga
LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar strengthened
across the board on Wednesday, rising against a battered euro
ahead of the German Ifo business survey, and versus a pound that
has lost all of its election gains on fears Britain could leave
the EU without a trade deal.
Solid U.S. economic data suggested to investors that the
Federal Reserve might need to be more strongly persuaded of the
case for meaningful interest rate cuts. Industrial production
has rebounded strongly in November, mainly due to the ending of
the General Motors auto workers strike.
Money markets are not pricing in a rate cut anytime soon.
FEDWATCH
"It is a slightly more generalised firmer U.S. dollar. I
don't think this is news or fundamentally driven flows," said
Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at National Australia Bank.
The U.S. House of Representatives is due to vote on whether
to impeach President Donald Trump later in the day, with the
Senate expected to vote in January, though analysts note that
the support for impeachment has declined slightly.
A dollar index which tracks the greenback against six major
currencies jumped to a six-day high of 97.343 .DXY and was
last up 0.1% at 97.302.
The euro fell 0.2% to $1.1132 EUR=EBS .
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Tuesday
that the United States may increase tariffs on European goods as
it seeks to slash its chronic trade deficit with the continent,
reigniting worries of the prospects of the export-driven euro.
Traders will be watching for the German Ifo business survey,
due at 0900 GMT. Current conditions are expected to have
strengthened slightly, and so are the expectations, economists
polled by Reuters forecast.
The British currency was down by 0.3% at $1.3099 GBP=D3
after falling to $1.3074, its weakest since the general election
on Thursday gave the pro-Brexit ruling Conservative Party a
decisive majority in parliament.
The pound extended its slide on rekindled fears of a chaotic
exit from the European Union. Having campaigned to "get Brexit
done," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government on Tuesday set
the end of 2020 as an immovable deadline. The dollar remained comfortable above 7 versus the Chinese
yuan, with the yuan last trading flat at 7.0016 in the offshore
market CNH=EBS , as the United States and China are finalising
a "phase one" trade deal, though worries remain over their
future relationship.
"The enthusiasm to the phase one trade deal announced last
week appears to be fading," said Charlie Lay, an analyst at
Commerzbank, adding that "the market's ambivalence is
understandable given that there are few details."
Elsewhere, the New Zealand dollar and the Swedish crown
fell to a one-week low of 0.6555 against the dollar NZD=D3 and
of 10.4960 against the euro EURSEK=D3 respectively.