Commodity currencies after the resumption of trading initially strengthened, and then found themselves under pressure to the USD, helped by falling stock markets and low trading volumes. Investors are also awaiting signs of progress in the negotiations on the "fiscal cliff" in the United States.

AUD/USD updated daily high at 1.0384, but then updated the 5-week low at 1.0344 and is now kept at 1.0360, only slightly below the opening level.

The Canadian dollar also weakened - USD / CAD from a low of 0.9915 jumped to a 3-day high at 0.9951 (0.3% intraday).

NZD / USD fell back to 5-week low at 0.8155, helped by decline in risk appetite.