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Investing.com -- The U.S. Senate has confirmed Mark Meador, President Donald Trump’s choice, as the third Republican commissioner on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This confirmation comes despite Democratic objections to Trump’s decision to dismiss two commissioners from the consumer protection and antitrust agency. Meador, a partner at the law firm Kressin Meador Powers and a former antitrust advisor to Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah, now provides the Republicans with a majority on the FTC. This holds true irrespective of whether a court reinstates the two Democratic commissioners who claim they were unlawfully dismissed. In the past, Meador has held positions as an antitrust attorney at both the FTC and the U.S...

As the dust settles after a bruising week eased by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff pause, the takeaway from global investors is loud and clear: market turbulence is here to stay. In a stunning reversal on Wednesday, Trump said he would temporarily lower the hefty duties newly imposed on dozens of countries while further ramping up pressure on China. A massive relief rally sent the S&P 500 stock index up nearly 10% in its biggest one-day jump since October 2008, while on Thursday Japanese stocks surged 9% and European shares were set for their best day since 2020. Investors and analysts said de-risking from U.S. markets would likely continue with investors reducing exposure to Wall Street shares and increasing exposure to safe...

Investing.com -- The central bank of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), announced a cut in its policy rate on Thursday. The move was anticipated, given the recent decrease in domestic inflation and global trade instability. The bank’s benchmark overnight reverse repurchase rate was reduced to 5.50%, according to Governor Eli Remolona. Additionally, the central bank lowered its benchmark lending rate to 6.00%. The decision aligns with predictions made by a majority of economists, given the recent data on Philippine inflation that supported the case for a cut. The potential impact of new U.S. tariffs also bolstered the argument for a rate cut. The Southeast Asian economy is facing a potential 17% duty on its goods...

Investing.com -- The National Bank of Serbia has decided to keep its one-week repurchase rate steady at 5.75% for a seventh consecutive month. This decision was expected by most economists, with 15 out of 17 surveyed by Bloomberg predicting this outcome. Only two economists had anticipated a quarter-point reduction in the rate. This decision comes amid a period of persistent inflation, which has been lingering near the upper limit of the central bank’s 1.5%-4.5% tolerance range since July. The Serbian economy has been experiencing a slowdown, with growth estimated at 3% in the first quarter, a decrease from the 3.3% expansion in the previous three months. The country’s President, Aleksandar Vucic, attributed this slowdown in...

Investing.com -- Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin confirmed on Thursday that Switzerland has not yet begun negotiations with the United States over trade tariffs. The U.S. government had announced tariffs last week, which initially imposed steeper import tariffs on Switzerland compared to the European Union. However, U.S. President Donald Trump made a temporary adjustment on Wednesday, reducing most tariff rates above 10% for nearly all countries. This change brought some relief for Switzerland, but dealing with the newly imposed trade barriers remains a complex task, according to Parmelin. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C...

Sweden is well-placed to deal with the changing environment brought on by abrupt shifts in trade and security policies, the Swedish central bank’s Deputy Governor Anna Seim said in a speech on Thursday. "In Sweden we have stable economic-policy frameworks and strong public finances. All this puts us in a favourable position that many other countries lack," Seim said. The Riksbank held its key interest rate at 2.25% at its latest meeting, on March 20, and forecast unchanged rates for the foreseeable future though uncertainty, not least linked to U.S. policy moves and global trade, is unusually great. Since then President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs and the market turbulence surrounding them have unsettled the outlook still...

© Reuters. A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Wall Street traders and investors have been sent to the brink over the past week by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, scrambling to figure out strategies and calming clients as trillions were wiped off stock market values. A massive relief rally, however, comes with a caution sign. Since announcing sweeping tariffs on April 2, the S&P 500 has done a near round-trip of historic proportions. The benchmark index extended its slide from its February high to the brink of confirming a bear market, as investors priced in dire scenarios for the economy after Trump announced tariffs that would...

Investing.com-- China’s 84% retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. took effect from midday, Chinese time, on Thursday, marking an escalation in a steadily worsening trade war with the United States. China’s 84% tariffs on U.S. goods went into effect from 12:01 CST (04:00 GMT), several local media outlets reported. This came just as U.S. President Donald Trump’s increased 125% tariffs on China took effect. China had largely decried Trump’s increased tariffs, and had vowed dire retaliation for the new duties. Beijing was also excluded from Trump’s 90-day exemption for countries targeted by his so-called reciprocal tariffs.  China’s 84% tariffs were in response to Trump initially imposing 104% tariffs on the country. But the U.S. president...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital, speaks at the Wall Street Journal Digital Conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S., October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said on Thursday China was now isolated and other U.S. trading partners were lining up to make deals following President Donald Trump’s stunning reversal of his tariff decision. Trump said on Wednesday said he would temporarily lower the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries while further ramping up pressure on China. "Time is not China’s friend as every U.S. corporation with a supply chain based in China is seeking to move it to countries that are likely to make favorable tariff...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Joachim Herrmann/File Photo a huge beneficiary of global manufacturers’ "China plus one" strategy that aims to diversify supply chains - said on Thursday it had come to an agreement with the United States to launch negotiations for a trade pact. Chinese stocks opened on a strong note on Thursday and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index surged 4%, even as the onshore yuan tumbled to its weakest level in more than 17 years. Some analysts attributed the rise to hopes for talks between the world’s two largest economies, as well as support from Beijing for the markets and the economy. A manic bond...

© Reuters. Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid The searing selloff in Treasuries this week in response to tariffs caused dislocations in the world’s biggest bond market, as hedge funds unwound some debt-fuelled bets and investors raised concerns about lasting damage to U.S. markets. While the market participants, who include brokers, traders and investors, said the selloff was orderly, indicators such as bid-ask spreads -- or the difference between buyers’ and sellers’ asks -- were widening on Wednesday. One trading desk said the bid-ask spread was double its normal levels. Treasury yields pared back some of their gains on Wednesday after...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Shoppers browse a Walmart Supercenter a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs, in Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S. April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Siddharth Cavale/File photo U.S. consumer prices likely increased marginally in March, but inflation risks are tilted to the upside after President Donald Trump doubled down on tariffs on imported Chinese goods even as he lowered duties on other nations. The report from the Labor Department on Thursday will likely capture only a fraction of the first wave of Trump’s barrage of import duties, including a 20% tariff on Chinese goods, and levies on steel and aluminum. Trump sees tariffs as a tool to raise revenue to offset his promised tax cuts and to revive a...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo By David Kirton SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) -Chinese companies that sell products on Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) are preparing to hike prices for the U.S. or quit that market due to President Donald Trump’s unprecedented tariff hikes, sellers and the head of China’s largest e-commerce association said. Trump said on Wednesday he would raise tariffs on Chinese imports to 125% from the 104% level already in effect, escalating the high-stakes confrontation between the two world’s largest economies. "This isn’t just a tax issue, it’s that the entire cost structure gets...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks during a tour of the Sheffield Forgemasters site, where steel used in defence programmes including a future fleet of nuclear-armed submarines is manufactured, in Sheff Australia on Thursday declined Beijing’s proposal to work together to counter U.S. tariffs, saying instead it would continue to diversify its trade and lower its reliance on China, its largest trading partner. "We are not going to be holding hands with China in respect of any contest that is going on in the world," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Sky News, referring to the Chinese ambassador’s proposal for countries to "join hands" on trade. "We are not doing...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung makes a speech at a press conference for foreign media in Taipei, Taiwan, July 19, 2024. REUTERS/Ann Wang By Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on most tariffs gives breathing space for more in-depth talks, and Taiwan hopes to take advantage of the "huge" U.S. market for more balanced trade, the island’s foreign minister said on Thursday. In a stunning reversal, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would temporarily lower the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries while further ramping up pressure on China, pushing global stocks higher. Taiwan had been due to be hit with a 32% tariff, sending its stock...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Traders swept back into safe havens like the yen and Swiss franc and sold the Australian dollar on Thursday, after U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war against China even as he abruptly paused tariffs for 90 days on many other nations. Risk sensitive currencies surged overnight, with the yen and Swiss franc tumbling following Trump’s unexpected respite from the hefty reciprocal duties levied in his "Liberation Day" announcement from a week ago, which triggered historic stock and bond routs. The uptick in safe haven currencies came even with Asian stock markers surging, as...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A passerby walks past in front of the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo, Japan January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File photo The Japanese government on Thursday nominated Kazuyuki Masu, a former chief financial officer of Mitsubishi Corp , to join the Bank of Japan’s nine-member policy board. Masu would replace former Hitachi (OTC:HTHIY) executive Toyoaki Nakamura, seen as among the most dovish members of the central bank’s board. If formally approved by parliament, Masu would begin his five-year term on July 1, as Nakamura serves out his term a day before. He will fill a post traditionally reserved for a business executive on the BOJ board, which comprises academics, economists, career bureaucrats and...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at vegetables displayed at a stall at an outdoor market in Beijing, China January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s consumer prices fell for the second straight month in March while producer deflation persisted, as caution grows over the economic outlook amid mounting tariff risks. The economy is off to an uneven start this year. A nascent pick-up in retail sales and robust expansion in factory activity have been countered by rising unemployment and deflationary pressures, fuelling calls for more stimulus amid a worsening global trade war. The consumer price index dropped 0.1% last month from a year earlier, National Bureau of Statistics data showed on Thursday...

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: TV camera men wait for the opening of market in front of a large screen showing stock prices at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Japan October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Global stocks rallied, the dollar found footing and a manic bond selloff stabilised on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would temporarily lower the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries. Following a days-long market rout that erased trillions of dollars from global stocks and pressured U.S. Treasury bonds and the dollar, Trump on Wednesday announced a 90-day pause on many of his new tariffs in a shock reversal. The move sent Wall Street’s "Magnificent Seven" stocks tacking on more than $1.5...

© Reuters. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told lawmakers on Wednesday that President Donald Trump was not trying to re-invigorate trade with Russia by sparing Russian goods from new tariffs, but it was up to Trump whether to impose any future duties. Greer told the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee that Russia was excluded from the tariffs because it already was facing heavy U.S. sanctions and sectoral trade embargoes and did not enjoy "most favored nation" trading status, as were Belarus, Cuba and North...