US President Donald Trump announced tariff cuts on fentanyl-related products from China, reducing them from 20% to 10%. This decision is part of an agreement reached at a summit in South Korea last October. This move aims to ease trade tensions between the world's two largest economies. Trump also announced a freeze on reciprocal tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. This freeze will remain in effect, providing some relief to companies engaged in international trade with China. This policy is expected to help ease trade tensions that have persisted for the past few years. This tariff cut will...
The U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April 2025, a slowdown from the downwardly revised 185,000 in March, but significantly surpassing market expectations of 130,000. This figure aligns closely with the average monthly gain of 152,000 over the past 12 months, despite growing uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies. Job growth was primarily seen in sectors such as health care (+51,000), transportation and warehousing (+29,000), financial activities (+14,000), and social assistance (+8,000), while federal government employment experienced a decline...
The United States (US) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is due to publish the high-impact Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for April on Friday at 12:30 GMT. The April employment report will be critical to affirm a Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate cut in June amid prospects of US trade deals with its major Asian trading partners and an unexpected US economic contraction in the first quarter of this year. The data could, therefore, have a strong bearing on the US Dollar (USD) performance in the near term. In a NewsNation Town Hall interview early Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that...
A possible de-escalation of trade tensions between Beijing and Washington provided a fillip for markets on Friday, boosting risk sentiment and lifting stocks globally just as earnings from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) delivered a reminder of the trade war's true cost. China's Commerce Ministry said that Beijing was "evaluating" an offer from Washington to hold talks over U.S. President Donald Trump's 145% tariffs and that Beijing's door was open for discussions. At the same time, however, China said Washington needed to show "sincerity" in negotiations and should be prepared to cancel its unilateral...
The S&P Global Indonesia Manufacturing PMI tumbled to 46.7 in April 2025 from 52.4 in March, marking the first drop in factory activity for six months and the steepest fall since August 2021. Output fell the most in near four years, and new orders shrank after four months of growth. Foreign demand also weakened, with exports shrinking for the second time in three months. Employment fell for the first time in five months as backlogs of work declined modestly, and purchasing activity was scaled back after consistent gains. On a positive note, easing pressure on capacity led to improved...
U.S. manufacturing contracted further in April while tariffs on imported goods were straining supply chains, keeping prices paid for inputs elevated. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Thursday that its manufacturing PMI dropped to a five-month low of 48.7 last month from 49.0 in March. A PMI reading below 50 indicates contraction in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for 10.2% of the economy. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the PMI declining to 48. The survey covered Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement, which ushered in sweeping duties on most...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher, tracking Wall Street gains overnight.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.41% after hitting a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Topix added 0.61%. South...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
US President Donald Trump announced tariff cuts on fentanyl-related products from China, reducing them from 20% to 10%. This decision is part of an agreement reached at a summit in South Korea last...