Foreign Exchange Market Update

September 8, 2026

Eurozone

Euro traded at 1.1628 against USD at 9:00 AM PST

Germany's exports decreased for the first time in six months in July, but the trade surplus increased due to the sharp fall in imports. Exports decreased 0.8% monthly in July, in contrast to the 0.9% increase in June. This was the first decrease since January. Similarly, imports declined 5.7%, following June's 4.5% increase. As a result, the trade surplus rose from EUR 15.4 billion in June to EUR 21.3 billion in July. The surplus was seen at EUR 16 billion. In the same period last year, the surplus was EUR 16.8 billion.

Yearly, export growth rose sharply from 13.9% in June to 6.0%. Likewise, imports rose 3.1%, much weaker than the prior month's 14.0% increase. German exports to EU countries dropped 1.6% from the last month, and imports from these countries fell 6.1% in July.  Most German exports in July went to the United States, with shipments rising 19.1%, while exports to the UK and China declined 7.2% and 9.5%.  Most imports in July came from China. However, imports from China decreased 7.5%. Imports from the U.S were down 8.2%, and those from the UK slid 1.0%. 09/08/2026 - 04:05:00 (RTTNews)

France's trade deficit widened in July as the increase in imports exceeded the exports growth. The trade deficit rose from EUR 5.75 billion in June to EUR 6.67 billion in July. In the same period last year, the shortfall was EUR 4.99 billion. Exports rose 0.3% from the previous month, and imports increased 1.8% in July. Yearly, exports climbed to 6.1%, and imports grew 6.4%. Elsewhere, the Bank of France said the current account deficit increased notably in July due to a concurrent weakening in goods and services balances. The current account gap rose from EUR 1.6 billion in June to EUR 4.7 billion. 09/08/2026 - 08:14:00 (RTTNews)

Japan GDP Growth

Japan's economy expanded in the second quarter largely due to business investment. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.4% on an annualized basis in the second quarter. Quarterly, the economy expanded 0.4%. Business investment dropped 0.9%. Housing investment was down 0.6%, and public investment decreased 0.5%. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than half of Japan's economy, remained flat in the second quarter. Meanwhile, government spending growth increased from 1.6% to 1.7%.

Exports of goods and services were up 0.4%, while imports of goods and services decreased 1.7%. Net exports and imports contributed 0.5% to GDP growth in the second quarter. Total cash earnings increased at a faster pace of 4.7% in July, following June's 4.0% increase. Real wages advanced 2.4% in July, marking the seventh consecutive growth. 09/08/2026 - 02:22:00 (RTTNews)

Taiwan Inflation Eases to 4-month Low

Taiwan's consumer price inflation moderated further in August to the lowest level in four months. The consumer price index (CPI), rose 2.04% year-on-year in August, slower than the 2.52% rise in July.  The upward trend in inflation was mainly because the index for fuels and lubricants rose 11.86% due to the low base from last year. Food inflation softened from 2.49% to 0.79%, and housing inflation slowed slightly from 2.32% to 2.31%. Health costs also grew at a weaker rate of 0.61%, while the annual price growth in transportation and communication accelerated from 2.72% to 2.77%. Monthly, consumer prices edged up 0.13%. Producer price inflation eased somewhat from 17.80% in July to 16.75% in August. 09/08/2026 - 07:53:00 (RTTNews)