Above: Donald Trump talks to the press in the Oval Office late Friday.
The Euro looks set to come under pressure in early Monday trade after President Donald Trump confirmed at the weekend he would be placing sanctions on the bloc.
Asked by the press in the Oval Office if he was going to place tariffs on the EU Trump said, "absolutely... the EU treat us very bad."
The comments put the Euro at risk of gapping lower in early Asia trade on Monday.
The Pound to Euro exchange rate ended the previous week at 1.1960 and could test 1.20 in short order if the Euro comes under pressure in light of Trump's recent comments.
Currency markets have adopted a rather benign approach to Trump's tariff threats over the past two weeks, judging that the President would talk a hard line but ultimately water down his tariff threats in response to any concessions from foreign trade partners.
This has prompted the Dollar to decline from late 2024 highs and afforded the Euro room to recover.
However, Trump said there was nothing Canada, Mexico or China could do to forestall the more immediate levies, confirming he is taking a determined approach to imposing tariffs.
This suggests there is little the EU can do to avoid the hit.
The UK is meanwhile deemed to be more insulated against U.S. tariffs as the country is not a major exporter of goods and Trump has not mentioned the UK as a target thus far.
Responding to the possible imposition of U.S. tariffs on the rest of the world, Lloyds CEO Charlie Nunn said he believed that it could allow the UK "to really stand out."
That’s because of the structure of its economy, the comparative services space and the lack of supply chains heavily bound up in the U.S., he said.
In an FX world where tariffs are in focus, the British Pound stands out as a relatively safe haven. Having come under pressure in early January, pound exchange rates can recover during February.