Ota said no change in governments view on economic conditions

Japanese Economics Minister Hiroko Ota said on Tuesday there was no change in the government's view on economic conditions following the Bank of Japan's tankan quarterly business sentiment survey released the previous day.

"The tankan result reflects slight adjustments in the informationtechnology sector and uncertainty over the U.S. economy," Ota told a news conference.

USD/JPY traded between 117.73 and 117.92.

Australian trade deficit smaller than expected

Australia's trade deficit was little changed at AUD 838 million in February, defying expectations of a widening as export growth matched imports in what might be a sign of a long-awaited export upturn.

Economist expected a February AUD 1.2 billion deficit.

January deficit was also revised to AUD 832 million from AUD 876 million.

AUD/USD traded between 81.52 and 81.74.