The Japanese yen traded near 146 per dollar on Friday after losing about 1.6% in the previous session, weighed down by easing safe-haven demand amid progress in US-China trade relations. China said it is considering the possibility of trade talks after multiple outreach efforts by the U.S. to initiate tariff negotiations. Meanwhile, Japan and the U.S. concluded a second round of bilateral trade talks this week, with Tokyo aiming to finalize an agreement by June. On the domestic front, Japan's unemployment rate edged up to 2.5% in March, though the labor market remained relatively tight. Separately, the Bank of Japan held its policy rate steady at 0.5% on Thursday and downgraded its growth and inflation forecasts, signaling a lower likelihood of near-term rate hikes.

Source: Trading Economi