Investing.com - European stock markets fell sharply Monday, after US President Donald Trump imposed trade tariffs on three of its major trading partners, and threatened to do something similar with the European Union and the UK.
At 06:25 ET (11:25 GMT), the DAX index in Germany dropped 1.6%, the CAC 40 in France slipped 1.7% and the FTSE 100 in the UK fell 1.2%.
Trump’s tariffs hit sentiment
President Trump announced over the weekend that the US would levy 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China, with the tariffs set to come into effect Tuesday.
The US tariffs will affect $1.3 trillion of goods, or more than 40% of all U.S. imports.
Canada and Mexico immediately vowed retaliatory taxes, while China pledged to challenge the tariffs at the WTO.
Additionally, in an interview with the BBC, Trump indicated that similar tariffs with the European Union “will definitely happen.” He didn’t rule out imposing levies on UK goods but added that the situation “can be worked out.”
Although the newly-installed president had threatened such moves during his campaigning, investors had expected that Trump would water down his rhetoric when the decisions were actually made.
Eurozone inflation rises
The eurozone's beleaguered manufacturing industry showed some signs of stabilisation at the start of the year.
The HCOB's final eurozone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global (NYSE:SPGI), climbed to 46.6 in January, ahead of a preliminary estimate for 46.1 and closer to the 50 mark separating growth from contraction.
Additionally, eurozone inflation accelerated last month, with the region's CPI accelerating to 2.5% in January from 2.4% in December, just above expectations for 2.4%, as sharply higher energy costs added to price pressures.
The ECB lowered borrowing costs for the fourth straight time last week and hinted at even more policy easing since inflation could be back at its 2% goal by late summer, economic growth is anaemic and a trade war was a distinct possibility.
Julius Baer sees jump in AUM
In the corporate sector, Julius Baer (SIX:BAER) stock slumped 11% after the Swiss wealth manager announced plans to cut its work force by 5%, even as it posted a jump in its 2024 net profit, benefiting from a 16% surge in assets under management to a record $545 billion.
Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) announced changes on Monday aimed at simplifying its structure and speeding up processes, as the automaker presses ahead with a reorganisation it started after former CEO Carlos Tavares left in December.
The auto sector will be in focus Monday, as companies like Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) and Stellantis have operations in Mexico which leaves them exposed to the impact of the US tariffs.
Crude rises on supply disruption concerns
Oil prices rose Monday as President Trump’s announcement of tariffs on imports from two of the US’s major suppliers raised concerns about potential disruptions in oil supply chains.
By 06:20 ET, the US crude futures (WTI) gained 2.5% to $74.33 a barrel, while the Brent contract rose 1.5% to $76.83 a barrel.
The US imports approximately 4 million barrels of Canadian oil and nearly 500,000 barrels of Mexican oil daily.
The newly imposed tariffs are expected to increase costs for US refiners, especially those in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions, potentially leading to higher fuel prices and potential production cuts.