BoJ's Kuroda: Has various tools at its disposal if it were to ease

Bank of Japan's governor Kuroda has been crossing the wires and has said that they do not see the need now to buy municipal bonds.

Kuroda adds that the Bank of Japan has various tools at its disposal if it were to ease, including expanding supply of money, increasing market operation tools and cutting rates

We will take sufficient, necessary steps at the time, if we were to ease further.

Earlier comments from Kuroda: BoJ's Kuroda: BoJ ready to do whatever it can to beat crisis, cooperating with govt

The Japanese Finance Minister has also made comments, saying it would not be unreasonable to see the virus dying down in June which should give some support to the yen as risk-off hits the currency space in Asia today. Trade wars are becoming a theme again and the latest comes with China imposing an import ban on four Australian abattoirs in an apparent escalation of Beijing's trade war tactics. More on this here: Australian beef processors suspended in China trade escalation. This has taken AUD/JPY to fresh lows of 69.13.