Amid ongoing global market turmoil, the U.S. government has shown an unprecedented tough stance on tariff policy, sparking a widespread surge in risk aversion. As a result, during Monday's Asian trading session, the Japanese yen and Swiss franc rose sharply, while gold and the Australian dollar became the focus of selling, demonstrating a typical split trend in safe-haven assets.
Data shows that the yen rose 1% against the dollar, reaching 145.41, marking a strong recent performance; the Swiss franc rose 0.7% against the dollar, briefly breaking the significant psychological threshold of 0.85. As traditional safe-haven currencies, both were clearly boosted by capital inflows.
Meanwhile, spot gold was also affected by market sell-offs, briefly falling below the $3,000 mark, with a lowest touch at $2,971 per ounce. Although gold is usually considered a safe-haven asset, its performance weakened in the current tight liquidity environment as investors liquidated to offset losses in other assets.
The Australian dollar became the worst-performing currency among major developed markets, falling 0.7% against the U.S. dollar. Due to Australia's high dependence on trade with the U.S., its asset prices experienced significant market volatility. The Australian dollar recorded its largest single-day drop since the 2008 financial crisis, alongside a steep decline in the Australian stock market.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Besenett had previously made it clear that the tariff issue was unlikely to be resolved through negotiations in the short term, dashing expectations for easing tensions. Since last weekend, U.S. officials have shown little willingness to compromise on the "reciprocal tariffs" issue. Investors fear that trade tensions may escalate further, bringing profound impacts on the global economy.
Analysts point out that the Trump administration continues to send hawkish signals, and the market is rapidly adjusting its expectations of policy direction. During early Asian trading, S&P 500 index futures plummeted and U.S. Treasury futures rose, reflecting a significant increase in safe-haven demand.
Market researchers have stated that if Trump maintains a hardline stance, the market will continue to undergo policy stress tests this week. This uncertainty is becoming a new dominant force for global trade and asset prices.
