China's economy expanded faster than expected in the first quarter as higher government infrastructure spending and a property boom helped boost industrial output by the most in more than two years.

Demand for industrial metals and other materials in China can support the commodity-linked Canadian currency.

Geopolitical tensions remained in focus, with US Vice President Mike Pence warning North Korea not to test President Donald Trump's resolve.

US retail sales fell for the second straight month in March and consumer prices dropped for the first time in just over a year, a report from the Commerce Department showed on Friday. North American markets closed for the Good Friday holiday.

At 8:48 a.m. ET (1248 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at C$1.3280 to the greenback, or 75.30 US cents, stronger than Thursday's close of C$1.3328, or 75.05 US cents.

The currency's strongest level of the session was C$1.3277, while its weakest level was C$1.3321.

Canadian government bond prices were mixed across the maturity curve, with the two-year flat to yield 0.728 percent and the benchmark 10-year  down 4 Canadian cents to yield 1.499 percent. Most other issuers saw yields slip.

The Canada-US two-year bond spread was -47.10 basis points, its narrowest since mid-March.

US crude  prices were down 0.17 percent to $53.09 a barrel, while Brent crude lost 0.09 percent to $55.84.

Oil prices have risen steadily since late March.