Dollar drops versus euro, rises slightly against yen, China's rare earths in focus

Currency Market Dynamics - The U.S. dollar is experiencing a third consecutive daily loss against the euro while slightly increasing against the yen, influenced by U.S.-China tensions and dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials [1] - U.S. Treasury yields are near multi-week lows, with the benchmark 10-year yield just above 4%, contributing to pressure on the dollar amid concerns over a prolonged U.S. government shutdown [2][3] - The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six other currencies, decreased by 0.05% to 98.63, indicating a potential weekly decline of around 0.3% [3] Rare Earths and Trade Relations - Investors are closely monitoring China's recent expansion of rare earth export controls, which has drawn criticism from U.S. officials and raised concerns about potential disruptions to global supply chains [4] - The situation is viewed as possibly a bargaining tactic by China to gain concessions from the U.S., according to market analysts [4] Australian Dollar and Economic Indicators - The Australian dollar remained stable at $0.6511 following data that showed unemployment reached a near four-year high in September, reinforcing the case for interest rate cuts [6] - The Australian dollar has been volatile due to trade tensions, while traditional safe-haven assets have gained [6] - China's yuan strengthened to a two-week high against the U.S. dollar after the central bank set its strongest daily midpoint in a year [6]