The New Zealand dollar fell to around $0.596 on Tuesday, paring some of the previous session’s gains, as investors awaited GDP data expected to underscore the need for further stimulus. The New Zealand economy is projected to slip back into contraction after two consecutive quarters of growth, suggesting that recent momentum may have been short-lived and could prompt additional policy easing by the Reserve Bank. Meanwhile, losses were capped by a weaker US dollar, as markets positioned for a widely anticipated 25 bps rate cut by the Federal Reserve, though some investors still saw a small chance of a larger half-point move. Sentiment was further supported by signs of progress in US-China trade talks in Spain, easing concerns about spillover risks to New Zealand’s export-heavy economy given its close trade ties with China. On the data front, annual food inflation held steady at 5% in August, unchanged from July and remaining at its highest since November 2023.