Market Turmoil Following Trump's Tariff Announcements
U.S. and European stock markets experience significant declines as new tariff measures raise concerns over global economic repercussions.
On April 3, 2025, financial markets reacted sharply to the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of substantial new tariffs, particularly targeting Asia and the European Union.
Wall Street's major indices saw significant drops at the market's opening; the S&P 500 fell by 3.28%, the Nasdaq plummeted by 4.59%, and the Dow Jones declined by 3.59% as of 13:40 GMT.
In Europe, investors similarly turned away from stocks, with the Paris stock exchange experiencing a decline of 2.92%, while Frankfurt dropped by 2.12%, Milan by 2.73%, and London by 1.30%.
The tariffs, described as the most aggressive since the 1930s, include a 10% base tariff and additional increases for specific regions: 20% for the European Union, 34% for China, 24% for Japan, and 31% for Switzerland.
This trade offensive has prompted threats of retaliatory measures that could hinder global economic growth.
Analysts suggest that the United States economy may suffer as a result of these announcements.
By 13:40 GMT, the U.S. dollar declined by 2.36% to 1.1089 dollars per euro, marking one of the largest daily depreciations observed.
In parallel, oil prices fell approximately 7% in both Europe and the U.S. as investors anticipate a slowdown in global economic growth, which is likely to reduce demand for oil.
Amidst this uncertainty, safe-haven assets became increasingly sought after.
Gold reached a high of $3,067 per ounce, while the Swiss franc rose by 2.66% to 1.1639 dollars as of 13:40 GMT.
The bond market emerged as a key beneficiary of the tariff announcements, with government bonds being heavily traded.
Consequently, the yield on U.S. Treasury bonds fell to 4.03%, down from 4.13% the previous day, while the yield on German bonds decreased to 2.64% from 2.72%.
In the equity markets, companies linked to the sports apparel sector were particularly affected.
The main index of the Vietnamese stock market plummeted by 6.68%, driven by declines in contractors servicing sporting good manufacturers worldwide.
At Wall Street, shares of Nike dropped nearly 10%, equating to a loss of over $9 billion in market capitalization, while competitor Lululemon experienced a 12.36% decline.
In Europe, Adidas fell by 10.01%, Puma by 12.35%, and JD Sports by 7.56%.
U.S. technology firms also faced sharp declines, with Apple witnessing an 8.5% drop, resulting in a $255 billion loss in market capitalization.
Other major tech companies such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet also recorded declines ranging from 3% to over 7%.
British banks displayed a significant vulnerability to Asian economic contractions, with Standard Chartered down 10.89%, Barclays declining by 8.34%, and HSBC falling by 7.76%.
The freight shipping industry showed signs of slowing as the Freightos Baltic Index, which tracks container shipping rates, hit its lowest since January 2024. Shipping companies also suffered losses, with German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd falling by 8.59% in Frankfurt, and A.P. Moller-Maersk declining by 11.73% in Copenhagen, while Kuehne + Nagel dropped by 8.46% in Zurich.
Wall Street's major indices saw significant drops at the market's opening; the S&P 500 fell by 3.28%, the Nasdaq plummeted by 4.59%, and the Dow Jones declined by 3.59% as of 13:40 GMT.
In Europe, investors similarly turned away from stocks, with the Paris stock exchange experiencing a decline of 2.92%, while Frankfurt dropped by 2.12%, Milan by 2.73%, and London by 1.30%.
The tariffs, described as the most aggressive since the 1930s, include a 10% base tariff and additional increases for specific regions: 20% for the European Union, 34% for China, 24% for Japan, and 31% for Switzerland.
This trade offensive has prompted threats of retaliatory measures that could hinder global economic growth.
Analysts suggest that the United States economy may suffer as a result of these announcements.
By 13:40 GMT, the U.S. dollar declined by 2.36% to 1.1089 dollars per euro, marking one of the largest daily depreciations observed.
In parallel, oil prices fell approximately 7% in both Europe and the U.S. as investors anticipate a slowdown in global economic growth, which is likely to reduce demand for oil.
Amidst this uncertainty, safe-haven assets became increasingly sought after.
Gold reached a high of $3,067 per ounce, while the Swiss franc rose by 2.66% to 1.1639 dollars as of 13:40 GMT.
The bond market emerged as a key beneficiary of the tariff announcements, with government bonds being heavily traded.
Consequently, the yield on U.S. Treasury bonds fell to 4.03%, down from 4.13% the previous day, while the yield on German bonds decreased to 2.64% from 2.72%.
In the equity markets, companies linked to the sports apparel sector were particularly affected.
The main index of the Vietnamese stock market plummeted by 6.68%, driven by declines in contractors servicing sporting good manufacturers worldwide.
At Wall Street, shares of Nike dropped nearly 10%, equating to a loss of over $9 billion in market capitalization, while competitor Lululemon experienced a 12.36% decline.
In Europe, Adidas fell by 10.01%, Puma by 12.35%, and JD Sports by 7.56%.
U.S. technology firms also faced sharp declines, with Apple witnessing an 8.5% drop, resulting in a $255 billion loss in market capitalization.
Other major tech companies such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet also recorded declines ranging from 3% to over 7%.
British banks displayed a significant vulnerability to Asian economic contractions, with Standard Chartered down 10.89%, Barclays declining by 8.34%, and HSBC falling by 7.76%.
The freight shipping industry showed signs of slowing as the Freightos Baltic Index, which tracks container shipping rates, hit its lowest since January 2024. Shipping companies also suffered losses, with German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd falling by 8.59% in Frankfurt, and A.P. Moller-Maersk declining by 11.73% in Copenhagen, while Kuehne + Nagel dropped by 8.46% in Zurich.
