Global markets are rattled after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on eight European countries over Greenland, sending the euro to a seven-week low and raising concerns about renewed transatlantic trade tensions.
Trump announced that a 10% import tariff would hit goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Britain from 1 February, rising to 25% from 1 June unless the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland.
Major European Union states condemned the threats as blackmail. France is pushing to activate the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could limit U.S. access to public tenders, investments, or trade in services.
As Asian markets opened, the euro fell 0.2% to $1.1572, its lowest since November, while sterling dipped and the yen strengthened against the dollar.
"Hopes that the tariff situation has calmed down for this year have been dashed," said Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding.
Capital Economics estimates a 10% tariff could reduce UK and German GDP by 0.1%, while a 25% tariff might shave 0.2–0.3% off output. European stocks remain near record highs, with defence shares up nearly 15% this month amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Safe-haven gold stayed near record highs, while bitcoin remained stable at around $95,330. Analysts warned that escalation could pressure the dollar and global tech valuations if investors repatriate capital to Europe.
"This is more a weaponization of capital than trade flows, and it could be highly disruptive," said Deutsche Bank FX chief George Saravelos.
Trump’s move comes as the EU signs a free trade deal with Mercosur and as other global hot spots, including Iran and U.S. Fed tensions, add uncertainty to markets.
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Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton has warned against rushing to develop artificial superintelligence, arguing that scientists still do not know how to ensure systems more capable than humans remain safe and under control.
Volkswagen’s supervisory board has approved a major overhaul aimed at cutting 100,000 jobs by 2030 as the German carmaker battles weaker sales, falling profits and intensifying global competition.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called on American companies to expand their presence in China and pledged that Beijing would address their "reasonable concerns," as China looks to stabilise trade ties with Washington ahead of President Xi Jinping's planned visit to the U.S. later this month
Apple is entering a new era as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years at the helm, handing the technology giant's leadership to longtime executive John Ternus.
Volkswagen is heading towards a decisive showdown with labour representatives as Germany's largest carmaker weighs sweeping restructuring measures that could lead to factory closures and tens of thousands of job losses.
Online fast-fashion retailer Shein is seeking to raise up to $1.77 billion in a Hong Kong IPO after its valuation fell around 70 per cent from its private-market peak four years ago.
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