President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries were set to take effect on Wednesday, including massive 104% duties on Chinese goods, deepening his global trade war even as he prepared for negotiations with some nations.
Trump’s punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession and driven worldwide stocks sharply downward.
The S&P closed below 5,000 for the first time in nearly a year on Tuesday and is nearing a bear market, defined as 20% below its most recent high.
S&P 500 companies have lost $5.8 trillion in stock market value since Trump unveiled the tariffs last Wednesday, the deepest four-day loss since the benchmark’s creation in the 1950s, according to LSEG data.
A sell-off across Asian markets resumed on Wednesday after a brief respite, with Japan’s Nikkei (.N225), opens new tab down over 3% and South Korea’s won currency sliding to a 16-year low. U.S. stock futures also pointed to a fifth straight day of losses on Wall Street.
