European shares dropped on Friday after President Donald Trump intensified tariff threats against the EU, casting doubt on trade talks and dampening investor confidence.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.7% to 548.98 points by mid-morning but remained on course for a weekly gain. Germany’s DAX declined 0.9%, France’s CAC 40 lost 0.8%, Spain’s IBEX dropped 0.6%, and the UK’s FTSE slipped 0.3% after briefly hitting a record high.
The drop followed Trump’s announcement of a 35% tariff on Canadian imports from 1 August, alongside warnings of a 15–20% tariff hike for other countries, including the EU. He also suggested a formal notice on EU tariffs could arrive by Friday, shaking hopes of a constructive deal.
"The recent DAX rally was built on expectations of better trade ties with the U.S., but this development challenges that optimism," said Jochen Stanzl of CMC Markets.
European banks led losses, with the banking index down 1.3%. Norway’s DNB fell 7.8% after disappointing earnings, while energy stocks gained 0.4% as BP reported strong Q2 output. Gjensidige rose 5.8% and Storebrand climbed 3.5% after strong earnings.
ECB’s Isabel Schnabel, meanwhile, noted that another rate cut is unlikely in the near term, citing resilient euro zone growth and stable inflation at 2%.
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Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to halt all shooting from Friday evening following renewed fighting along their shared border, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday.
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday that it will introduce a licensing system for steel exports starting in 2026, covering around 300 steel products.
Venezuela’s oil shipments have plunged following the United States’ seizure of a tanker earlier this week.
The Kremlin on Friday dismissed proposals for a ceasefire to allow a territorial referendum in Ukraine, describing any pause in hostilities as a tactical ploy rather than a genuine step toward ending the conflict.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kyiv has escalated its naval campaign against Moscow’s economic lifelines, claiming a successful strike on a vessel suspected of skirting international sanctions within the Black Sea.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
The U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.50% to 3.75% following its two-day policy meeting, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday, 10 December.
China has carried out a major test of a new “super wireless” rail convoy, a technology that could reshape the future of heavy-haul transport.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
U.S. industrial production rose by 0.1% in September, rebounding after a decline in August, while capacity utilisation remained unchanged, according to Federal Reserve data on Wednesday.
Google’s YouTube has announced a “disappointing update” for millions of Australian users and creators, confirming it will comply with the country’s world-first ban on social media access for under-16s by locking affected users out of their accounts within days.
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