Canadian Dollar Hovers Around 1-Month Lows
2026-03-02 15:53
By
Felipe Alarcon
1 min. read
The Canadian dollar weakened to 1.37 per US dollar, testing one-month lows as a surge in geopolitical risk and a shrinking domestic economy triggered a move back into the US dollar.
Despite a massive 8% spike in oil prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Loonie struggled to find support as the greenback’s safe-haven appeal dominated global markets.
Internal pressures intensified after fourth-quarter data confirmed a 0.6% contraction in Canada’s GDP, highlighting the slowest growth period since 2020.
While the February manufacturing PMI hit a 13-month high of 51, the positive data was overshadowed by fears that a prolonged Middle East conflict will disrupt 20% of global oil shipments and reignite inflation.
Even with favorable trade exemptions from new US duties, the Canadian dollar remains pinned near one-month lows as the Bank of Canada faces the difficult task of balancing high energy costs against a cooling domestic economy.