United States President Donald Trumps stunning decision to pause the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries sent battered global stock markets surging on Thursday even as he ratcheted up a trade war with the worlds No.
2 economy China.Trumps turnabout on Wednesday, which came less than 24 hours after steep new tariffs kicked in on most trading partners, followed the most intense episode of financial market volatility since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported.The upheaval erased trillions of dollars from stock markets and led to an unsettling surge in United States government bond yields that appeared to catch Trumps attention.I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line, they were getting yippy, you know, Trump told reporters after the announcement, referring to jitters sportpeople sometimes get.United States stock indexes shot higher on the news, with the benchmark S-P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab index closing 9.5% higher.
Bond yields came off earlier highs and the dollar rebounded against safe-haven currencies.The relief spread through Asian markets as they opened on Thursday with Japans Nikkei index (.N225), opens new tab surging 8% while European futures also pointed to a sharp rebound.
Even Chinese stocks rose, propped up by hopes of state support, although its yuan currency fell to the lowest level since the global financial crisis.Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened an array of punitive measures on trading partners, only to revoke some of them at the last minute.
The on-again, off-again approach has baffled world leaders and spooked business executives.United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asserted that the pullback had been the plan all along to bring countries to the bargaining table.
Trump, though, later indicated that the near-panic in markets that had unfolded since his April 2 announcements had factored in to his thinking.Despite insisting for days that his policies would never change, he told reporters on Wednesday: You have to be flexible.But he kept the pressure on China, the second biggest provider of United States imports.
Trump said he would raise the tariff on Chinese imports to 125% immediately from the 104% level that took effect at midnight.Beijing on Wednesday slapped 84% tariffs on United States imports to match Trumps earlier tariff salvo and has vowed to fight to the end in an escalating tit-for-tat trade dispute between the worlds top two economies.Chinese companies that sell products on Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab are preparing to hike prices for the United States or quit that market due to the unprecedented blow from the tariff hikes, the head of Chinas largest e-commerce association said.‘GOADED CHINATrumps reversal on the tariffs imposed on other countries is also not absolute.
A 10% blanket duty on almost all United States imports will remain in effect, the White House said.
The announcement also does not appear to affect duties on autos, steel and aluminum that are already in place.The 90-day freeze also does not apply to duties paid by Canada and Mexico, because their goods are still subject to 25% fentanyl-related tariffs if they do not comply with the United States -Mexico-Canada trade agreements rules of origin.
Those duties remain in place for the moment, with an indefinite exemption for USMCA-compliant goods.Trumps tariffs had sparked a days-long selloff that erased trillions of dollars from global stocks and pressured United States Treasury bonds and the dollar, which form the backbone of the global financial system.
Canada and Japan said they would step in to provide stability if needed a task usually performed by the United States during times of economic crisis.Analysts said the sudden spike in share prices might not undo all of the damage.
Surveys have found slowing business investment and household spending due to worries about the impact of the tariffs, and a Reuters/Ipsos survey found that three out of four Americans expect prices to increase in the months ahead.Goldman Sachs cut its probability of a recession back to 45% after Trumps move, down from 65%, saying the tariffs left in place were still likely to result in a 15% increase in the overall tariff rate.Treasury Secretary Bessent shrugged off questions about market turmoil and said the abrupt reversal rewarded countries that had heeded Trumps advice to refrain from retaliation.
He suggested Trump had used the tariffs to create maximum negotiating leverage.
This was his strategy all along, Bessent told reporters.
And you might even say that he goaded China into a bad position.Bessent is the point person in the country-by-country negotiations that could address foreign aid and military cooperation as well as economic matters.
Trump has spoken with leaders of Japan and South Korea, and a delegation from Vietnam met with United States officials on Wednesday to discuss trade matters, the White House said.Bessent declined to say how long negotiations with the more than 75 countries that have reached out might take.Trump said a resolution with China was possible as well.
But officials have said they will prioritize talks with other countries.China wants to make a deal, Trump said.
They just dont know how quite to go about it.Trump told reporters that he had been considering a pause for several days.
On Monday, the White House denounced a report that the administration was considering such a move, calling it fake news.Earlier on Wednesday, before the announcement, Trump tried to reassure investors, posting on his Truth Social account, BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well.
The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!Later, he added: THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!The post Trump U-turns on tariffs but keeps trade war heat on China first appeared on TINS News.