Investing.com - The Aussie fell further on Tuesday as trade data disappointed and investors awaited clarity on the direction of rates in the U.S. in the release of minutes this week.
AUD/USD traded at 0.7581, down 0.33%, while USD/JPY changed hands at 110.91, down 0.39%.
Comments from the Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on bond buying were also noted.
In Australia, the trade balance for February widened to a deficit of A$3.41 billion, compared to a deficit seen of A$2.6 billion. Exports fell 1%, while imports were flat.
Japan reported average cash earnings jumped 0.9% in February year-on-year, well above the 0.2% gain seen, while overtime pay rose 0.40%, an improvement on a 1.3% year-on-year drop.
Earlier in New Zealand, the NZIER business confidence index came in at 2% for the first quarter, down from 15% in the previous quarter.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.10% to 94.49.
Overnight, the dollar held steady against the other major currencies on Monday, after data showed that U.S. factory orders fell in February and as comments from a Federal Reserve official sparked fresh speculation over additional policy tightening this year.
The U.S. Census Bureau said factory orders declined by 1.7% last month, in line with expectations. Factory orders rose 1.2% in January, revised from the initial read of a 1.6% increase.
Meanwhile, Boston Fed president Eric Rosengren said that he felt the market was mistaken in its expectations for only zero to one rate hikes this year.
"I personally expect that a stronger economy, at essentially full employment and with gradually rising inflation, will lead to more tightening than is currently priced into the futures market expectations for the next two years," Rosengren said.