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Record low rupee leads Asia forex slide

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Reuters SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The rupee hit a record low on Tuesday due to dollar demand from importers, leading the slide among emerging Asian currencies on weaker regional stocks and higher U.S. Treasury yields.

The rupee lost as much as 1.5 percent to 61.80 per dollar, breaking a previous low of 61.21 on July 8, on sustained worries about the country's record-high current account deficit. The Indian unit recovered some losses as the RBI was spotted intervening to support it.

The Malaysian ringgit turned lower on selling from European investors, while the Thai baht hit a near one-month low to the dollar amid worries about political uncertainty.

 

The South Korean won eased on concerns over potential intervention by the foreign exchange authorities to stem its strength.

Asian stocks fell to a two-week low and 10-year U.S. Treasury yields rose in Asia.

The Japanese yen turned lower against the dollar, putting pressure on emerging Asian currencies, traders said.

(Reporting by Jongwoo Cheon, Additional reporting by IFR Markets Catherine Tan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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First Published: Aug 06 2013 | 3:14 PM IST

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