Global stocks tumble as Trump escalates trade war with threatens of more China tariffs
Markets fall around the world, with the heaviest losses in Asia
Global stock markets slumped Tuesday after US President Donald Trump threatened to put tariffs on another US$200 billion in imports from China, causing the Chinese government to threaten retaliation and bringing tensions between the world’s two largest economies closer to a boil.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 287.26 points, or 1.1 per cent. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong lost 2.8 per cent. Major stock indices in Asia and Europe also took sharp losses.
Trump’s new proposal calls for a 10 per cent tariff on US$200 billion in goods, and Beijing said it would respond with “comprehensive measures”. It does not import enough goods from the US to match the scale of Trump’s proposal but could adopt other methods.
Kate Warne, investment strategist for Edward Jones, said investors were concerned, but still think the US and China will work out their differences.
“There’s concern, but there’s not overall great worry at this stage,” she said. “We are certainly taking the first steps toward a trade war, and the more tit-for-tat actions are taken the harder it is to pull back.”