The New Zealand dollar fell against a broadly stronger greenback after the US Senate approved tax reforms that analysts say could boost the world's biggest economy by 0.3 per cent next year.
The kiwi traded at 68.43 US cents as at 8am in Wellington from 68.59 cents late yesterday. The trade-weighted index was at 72.24 from 72.38 yesterday.
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Tax cuts are expected to stoke a US economy that's already travelling at a fast enough pace to give the Federal Reserve reason to hike interest rates again this month. The Senate now has to align the legislation with a version of the reforms already approved by the House of Representatives before it heads back to President Donald Trump for final sign-off. In New Zealand today, traders will be watching for acting Reserve Bank governor Grant Spencer's speech titled 'Low inflation and its implications for monetary policy', with the local central bank well behind the Fed in its cycle.