Against the dollar, the currencies move in scattered ranks. The pound fell more than 1% against the dollar on Tuesday and fell to its lowest level since January. The euro was approaching its lowest level for the year against the dollar.

Cooled by the problems of shortages of workers, goods and gasoline which are worsening in the United Kingdom and threatening the British recovery, the pound sterling fell more than 1% against the dollar. Around 7:00 p.m. GMT, the pound sterling fell 1.18% to 1.3537 dollars, the lowest since January 18. Against the euro, it yielded at the same time 1.05% to 86.28 pence per euro, after having temporarily fallen to its lowest since mid-July, at 86.41 pence.

The euro approached its lowest level of the year against the dollar on Tuesday. Around 9:00 a.m. GMT (11:00 a.m. in Paris), the euro lost 0.16% to 1.1677 dollars for one euro, after having reached 1.1672 dollars, its lowest since mid-August, when it had hit its lowest point of the year at $1.1664. The Dollar index, which compares the greenback to a basket of other major currencies, took 0.20% to 93.57 points, a few fractions of a point from its highest for the year at 93.73 points. Against the euro, the greenback climbed 0.13% to 1.1680 dollars per euro, a peak in ten months also reached in the wake of a rise in yields on Treasury bonds.