NEW YORK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Crude prices retreated on Friday after a three-day rally as U.S. dollars strengthened against a basket of major currencies.

    Light, sweet crude for July delivery dropped 64 cents to settle at 72.04 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

    The contract price dropped to an intra-day low of 70.80 dollars a barrel as the dollar index rebounded as much as 1.4 percent after Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said his nation's confidence in U.S. debt is "unshakable," undermining demand for dollar-priced assets such as oil, which are usually used to hedge against inflation.

    Meanwhile, some investors locked in profits after oil prices spiked 73 dollars a barrel in the previous session, which also exerted downward pressure to the market.

    In London, Brent crude for July delivery fell 87 cents to settle at 70.92 dollars a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange