The US dollar traded mixed on Tuesday, with volatility in global markets dulling prospects for US interest rates increases, while Canada's and Australia's battered commodity-related currencies gained. Global stocks slid to lows not seen in more than two years as raw materials prices and emerging markets remained pressured. Commodity prices edged up but held near multi-year lows on concern over an economic slowdown in major consumer China.
Mining and trading giant Glencore, whose shares fell by almost a third on Monday on worries over its debt levels, eked out gains of 4 percent in London that helped the Australian and Canadian dollars. The Australian dollar was last up 0.33 percent at $0.7012, recovering from a low of $0.6934, while the US dollar was up 0.16 percent against the Canadian unit at C$1.33376, having risen to a 11-year high earlier in the day.
The US dollar index fluttered around flat and was last ahead 0.07 percent as dealers treaded carefully ahead of Friday's US jobs report likely to confirm the relative vigor of America's labor market. The Swiss franc was 0.2 percent higher against the dollar at 0.9710 francs per dollar. The yen was slightly firmer on the day against the dollar, trading at 119.90. The euro was down 0.1 percent against the dollar and the yen as Spanish consumer prices fell at their fastest rate in seven months in September and regional data out of Germany pointed to inflation stuck around zero.