* Canadian dollar falls 0.3% against the greenback * Loonie touches its weakest since March 11 at 1.2594 * Price of U.S. oil falls 4.1% * Canadian bond yields ease across a flatter curve TORONTO, March 23 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar weakened to its lowest level in nearly two weeks against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday, as a fresh lockdown in Germany weighed on risk appetite and ahead of a speech by a senior Bank of Canada official. Shares globally slipped from a one-year peak, sovereign bond yields fell and oil prices slumped on concern that new pandemic curbs will hold back economic recovery. U.S. and European sanctions over China also weighed. The price of oil , one of Canada"s major exports, fell 4.1% to $59.05 a barrel, while the Canadian dollar was trading 0.3% lower at 1.2563 to the greenback, or 79.60 U.S. cents, having touched its weakest intraday level since March 11 at 1.2594. Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle is due to speak at 1:15 p.m. ET (1715 GMT) on the role of the central bank in responding to market-wide stress, which could offer clues on the policy outlook. Strategists say that the bank is likely to reduce its bond purchases as soon as next month, which would provide the clearest signal yet that Canada"s economy requires less help to emerge from the coronavirus crisis. Canadian government bond yields were lower across a flatter curve in tandem with U.S. Treasuries. The 10-year fell 3.7 basis points to 1.520%, extending its pullback from a 14-month high last Thursday at 1.677%. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Susan Fenton)