TOKYO: The dollar held up against other major currencies on Monday, backed by investor expectations for US interest rate increases and after weaker-than-expected Chinese trade data.
The greenback was at 120.35 yen in Tokyo, compared with 120.30 yen in New York late Friday.
The euro bought $1.0593 and 127.47 yen against $1.0599 and 127.50 yen.
A report last week showed fewer Americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits over the past few weeks than at any time in almost 15 years, helping to allay concern about the strength of the US economy.
Fears that the US economy may not be so strong as earlier believed had increased after a closely watched payrolls report at the start of the month showed the economy added the fewest jobs in March since the end of 2013.
"Data last week showed that the weak payrolls number was more of an aberration," said Sim Moh Siong, a foreign-exchange strategist at Bank of Singapore.
A broadly healthy run of data out of the United States over the past year has fed expectations the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates by the end of the year, with the main differences over whether it will be sooner rather than later.
For fresh trading pegs, investors are waiting for economic data and financial gatherings later in the week.
Upcoming data include China's first-quarter growth due out on Wednesday. Official data Monday showed China's exports suffered an unexpected 14.6 percent fall on-year in March, a further sign of weakness in the world's second-largest economy.
The European Central Bank is also to hold a policy meeting Wednesday, which will be followed by a news conference by its head, Mario Draghi, while G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs gather in Washington on Thursday and Friday.
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