China's yuan weakens as trade war fears resurface, most other Asian FX gain

China's yuan has fallen against the US dollar.

BENGALURU: China's yuan weakened on Friday as surprisingly strong export figures fed fears over its trade war with the United States, while most other Asian currencies firmed on Friday after being battered earlier in the week by fallout from a global equity market sell-off.

U.S. Treasury bond prices rose overnight as investors flocked to safety, pushing down yields. The falling yields, and a smaller than expected rise in U.S. consumer prices helped push the dollar near its weakest level this month against a basket of six major currencies, and gave emerging market currencies some relief. 

The Indian rupee, Asia's worst performer this year, strengthened 0.7 percent to 73.608, coming just a day after it set yet another record low against the dollar. 

Indian inflation figures out later are expected to show consumer prices rose 4 percent in September, up from Augusts' 3.69 rise, and bang on the central bank's medium-term target of 4 percent. 

The rupee was set to snap six weeks of straight losses, helped by oil prices coming off recent highs and looking on course to shed 4 percent this week.

But the currency remains hampered by India's large current account deficit, and the central bank's apparent hesitancy raising interest rates.

South Korea's won gained over 1.3 percent to 1,130.2 per dollar.

The unemployment rate in the country fell in September, after setting an eight-year high in August.

[ How the Asian currencies have fared against the US dollar... not good except for the HK dollar]