KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — The ringgit continued its downtrend against the US dollar at the opening as the greenback firmed up amid external news that the United States and China will renew their trade negotiations in September.

At 9am, the ringgit was trading at 4.2180/2210 against the US dollar from 4.2150/2200 yesterday.

A dealer said the losses, however, were capped by higher oil prices overnight which saw Brent crude rise 0.8 per cent to US$61 per barrel.

OANDA Asia Pacific senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley said Asian currencies would likely remain on the back foot against a resurgent US dollar but not to a high degree.

"Increased trade hopes to a region inextricably linked to China will limit losses on local currencies,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ringgit was traded marginally higher against other major currencies.

The local currency was trading better against the Singapore dollar at 3.0367/0404 from 3.0370/0410 yesterday and gained against the yen to 3.9628/9667 from 3.9671/9729.

It rose versus the euro to 4.6622/6659 from 4.6685/6745 yesterday and recovered vis-a-vis the British pound to 5.1379/1433 from 5.1381/1446. — Bernama