* Canadian dollar declines 0.3% against the greenback
* Price of U.S. oil slumps 5.7%
* Canadian wholesale trade rises 1.4% in March
* Bond prices rally across the yield curve
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, May 23 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar weakened to a six-day low against the greenback and lost ground against other G10 currencies on Thursday, as plunging oil prices overshadowed domestic data showing a stronger-than-expected gain for wholesale trade.
At 3:27 p.m. (1927 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4 was trading 0.3% lower at 1.3478 to the greenback, or 74.19 U.S. cents. The currency touched its weakest intraday level since May 17 at 1.3502.
The price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, slumped to its lowest since March 13 as global trade tensions dampened the demand outlook. U.S. crude oil futures CLc1 settled 5.7% lower at $57.91 a barrel, its biggest decline since Dec. 24. is all about oil and the general direction of the U.S. dollar," said Mark Chandler, head of Canadian fixed income and currency strategy at RBC Capital Markets.
The U.S. dollar .DXY touched its highest level in two years against a basket of currencies, before reversing lower as investors weighed prospects of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates. the Fed is going to cut, chances are it is likely to be in response to equity market weakness," Chandler said.
Stocks on Wall Street and U.S. Treasury yields tumbled as investors worried that a spiraling trade war between the United States and China would shackle global growth. government bond prices rallied across the yield curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries, with the two-year CA2YT=RR price up 16 Canadian cents to yield 1.578% and the 10-year CA10YT=RR rising 86 Canadian cents to yield 1.624%.
Canadian wholesale trade increased by 1.4% in March from February, Statistics Canada said, beating analysts estimates of a 0.9% increase.