The Canadian dollar strengthened to a one-week high against its U.S. counterpart on Wednesday, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump revived prospects for the Keystone XL pipeline and as the greenback suffered broader losses.

The U.S. dollar tumbled to a seven-week low against a basket of currencies on worries that Trump was focusing too much on protectionism and isolationism, and not enough on pro-growth policies.  

A more protectionist United States would threaten Canada's economy. But Canadian officials are convinced Mexico will suffer the most damage from changes to the North American Free Trade agreement, under which Canada sends 75 per cent of its exports to the United States.

Trump signed orders on Tuesday smoothing the path for Keystone. If constructed, the pipeline would provide oil producers in Canada with a quicker route to send crude to U.S. Gulf Coast refiners. Oil is one of Canada's major exports.

At 9:24 a.m. ET (1424 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at $1.3121 to the greenback, or 76.21 U.S. cents, stronger than Tuesday's close of  $1.3161, or 75.98 U.S. cents.

The currency's weakest level of the session was  $1.3163, while it touched its strongest since Jan. 18 at $1.3087. Gains for the Canadian dollar came even as oil fell. U.S. crude prices were down 1.03 per cent at $52.63 a barrel after builds in U.S. inventories reinforced expectations that increasing shale output this year would reduce the impact of production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major exporters.

Canadian government bond prices were lower across the yield curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries as gains for global stocks reduced investor demand for safe-haven assets, such as bonds.

The two-year fell 3.5 Canadian cents to yield 0.809 per cent, and the 10-year declined 33 Canadian cents to yield 1.798 per cent, its highest since Dec. 28.