* Risk aversion and repatriation flows boost yen
* Ratings agency comments weigh on sterling, euro
* China's commitment to buy Treasuries helps dollar (Adds comments, details, changes byline)
By Vivianne Rodrigues and Nicholas Olivari
NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters) - The safe-haven yen gained broadly on Tuesday amid Japanese repatriation flows, while the euro declined on concerns peripheral euro zone economies could face debt problems similar to those of Greece.
Appetite for risk had been boosted by Friday's better-than- expected U.S. employment report, pushing the yen down to two-week lows versus the euro and the dollar.
But comments from Fitch Ratings on Portugal's austerity measures on Tuesday prompted a comeback for the yen and triggered further selling in the European currency. The dollar was supported after China said it was committed to buying U.S. Treasuries. For details, see [ID:nLDE6281JZ] and [ID:nBJC002514]
"The combination of today's risk-averse trading and repatriation of yen has been the key driver over the last 12 hours," said Camilla Sutton, currency strategist at Scotia Capital in Toronto.
Traders said Japanese exporters were in the market buying yen fairly actively, with further demand for the Japanese currency likely in the run-up to fiscal year-end on March 31.
"The feeling is that we are beginning to see fiscal year-end repatriation flows for Japan. The yen will remain in favor over the next few weeks as Japanese corporates bring money back home," said RBC currency strategist Adam Cole, in London.
Further yen gains could however be limited by speculation that the Bank of Japan may take additional steps to ease monetary policy. The BOJ is in the spotlight after the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday that the central bank was examining easing again and may decide on such a move when it meets on March 16-17.
In early afternoon New York trade, the dollar
The yen was up about 0.5 percent against the Canadian
dollar
Higher-yielding currencies such as the Australian dollar
also fell against the Japanese currency. Aussie/yen
DOLLAR GAINS
The dollar index <.DXY>, a non-traded calculation of the dollar's performance against a basket of currencies, was up 0.2 percent at 80.543.
China, the world's biggest holder of foreign exchange reserves, renewed its commitment to the U.S. Treasury market on Tuesday but said it would be wary of substantially boosting its gold holdings.
"If China is not diversifying their reserves into gold, then there is no realistic alternative to absorb their demand outside of U.S. dollars," said Kathy Lien, director of research at GFT in New York.
The pound was under widespread pressure, dropping to a
one-week low versus the dollar
Earlier, a Moody's Investors Service report saying Britain faces a difficult balancing act in deciding how and when to reduce support for the banking sector had also weighed on the pound. [ID:nLDE6271OB]
Against the dollar the pound was down around 0.4 percent at $1.4992.
The euro was down around 0.2 percent against the dollar
Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday it still has a negative outlook on Portugal's AA ratings and was studying the details of the country's new austerity measures announced a day earlier.
"Even though Fitch also stated that the contagion risk to Portugal and Spain from Greece is not great, there are sufficient worries in the market concerning EMU to keep the euro 'on the back foot'," said FOREX.com analysts in a note.
Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said on Tuesday in Washington the country was taking necessary steps to get its budgets under control but said the issue was also a European one. [ID:nWEN1451].
Greece has been a drag on the euro in 2010, which has lost 5 percent against the dollar so far this year and 8.1 percent against the yen. (Additional reporting by Neal Armstrong in London; Editing by Andrea Ricci) (vivianne.rodrigues@reuters.com ; +1 646 223 6102; Reuters Messaging: vivianne.rodrigues.reuters.com@reuters.net ))