Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition

Stocks jumped and the dollar rose after President Donald Trump said he had no intention of firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell while optimism grew that trade tensions may be easing. Trump's comments on the Fed chief late Tuesday in Washington walk back opinions expressed earlier in the week that sparked concerns about the US central bank's independence. Progress in various trade talks also helped improve market sentiment after investors had broadly retreated from US assets this month following the announcement of century-high levies. We break down the themes driving volatility with Ecaterina Bigos, CIO for Asia ex-Japan Core Investments at AXA Investment Managers. Plus - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit Tuesday that the tariff standoff with China cannot be sustained by both sides and that the world's two largest economies will have to find ways to de-escalate. That de-escalation will come in the very near future, Bessent said during an event hosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Washington, which wasn't open to the public or media. He characterized the current situation as essentially a trade embargo, according to people who attended the session. We talk tariffs and trade policy with Tom Bruce, Macro Investment Strategist at Tanglewood Total Wealth Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks edged down at the open after US President Donald Trump's criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell raised concerns about the central bank's independence and sparked a selloff in US assets. We get reaction from JoAnne Bianco, Partner & Senior Investment Strategist at BondBloxx Investment Management. Plus - late Monday, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Japan won't concede to all US demands in trade talks, citing the need to protect national interests. Those comments come as a second round of trade talks between Tokyo and Washington are expected in the coming days. Suntory Holdings Chairman and CEO Takeshi Niinami says the current situation regarding US tariffs is "really concerning." Niinami, who also serves as Senior Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Ishiba, speaks with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn in Tokyo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officials from Japan and South Korea are slated to begin trade negotiations with the United States this week. Early Monday, China's Ministry of Commerce said it firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests. Those comments came as China claims Washington is using tariffs to coerce other countries to restrict economic and trade exchanges with Beijing. We get more perspective from Naomi Fink, Chief Global Strategist at Nikko Asset Management. She speaks with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Paul Allen. Plus - Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee warned against efforts to curtail the central bank’s independence, days after President Donald Trump expressed his displeasure with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Last week, Trump posted on Truth Social that Powell’s “termination cannot come fast enough!” He hasn’t clarified whether that means he intends to find a way to fire the Fed chief, or is simply eager for Powell’s term to end as scheduled in May 2026. We get reaction from Alicia Garcia Herrero, Chief APAC Economist at Natixis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japanese stocks rose in the early Friday session as expectations for progress in trade negotiations between the US and the European Union supported automotive-related sectors. Most Asian markets are shut for the Good Friday holiday. Data released Friday showed Japan's consumer inflation advanced last month, supporting the central bank's stance on a gradual rate hike path before US tariff measures clouded the economic outlook. We speak with Mary Nicola, Bloomberg MLIV Strategist in Singapore. Stateside - a rebound in US stocks evaporated this week after Chair Jerome Powell pushed back on the idea of the Federal Reserve stepping in to bolster markets, rankling President Donald Trump who touted a smattering of deals Thursday. We cap off the trading week with insights from James Demmert, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Main Street Research. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special holiday edition of Bloomberg Daybreak US edition, host John Tucker discusses President Trump recent criticism of Fed Chair Powell with Michael McKee and Stuart Paul. He also talks about ETF inflows with Eric Balchunas and looks at the future of antitrust litigation with Jennifer Rie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, we take a look at the impact of how US tariffs are reverberating through the global automotive industry. Ford Motor Company is preparing to raise prices on cars rolling off assembly lines starting next month if President Donald Trump doesn't deliver on the tariff relief he's hinted at for automakers, while Chinese EV maker Xpeng is ramping up its global expansion -- despite the intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, and the European Union's punitive tariffs against Chinese cars. We speak with Dr. Stephen Dyer, Head of the Asia Automotive Practice at AlixPartners. Plus - Warnings from Chair Jerome Powell that trade tensions risk undermining the Federal Reserve's employment and inflation goals whipped up fresh volatility on Wall Street Wednesday, with stocks resuming sharp declines while haven assets like Treasuries and gold surged. We unpack the day's market moves with Shams Afzal, Managing Director at the Carnegie Investment Counsel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks edged lower and US equity-index futures dropped at the open as trade conflicts showed no signs of abating. Nvidia said the US put new restrictions on some chip exports to China. Contracts for the Nasdaq 100 fell more than 1.5% and S&P 500 futures retreated 1% after Nvidia slumped in after-hours trading. That’s even as results from Wall Street’s financial heavyweights on Tuesday underscored an equity-trading boon and still-healthy consumers and businesses. We discuss the day's market headlines with Ken Stern, President and CEO at Lido Advisors. Plus - TikTok users in the US are being inundated with videos from Chinese influencers encouraging American buyers to overcome punitive Trump tariffs by buying direct from the “world’s factory” — China. Mostly filmed at Chinese factories purporting to supply top US brands from Lululemon Athletica to Nike, the influencers aim to “expose” how the vast majority of consumer goods are made in the world’s second-largest economy. Colum Murphy, China EcoGov Reporter for Bloomberg News, joins us from Beijing to break down the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaking exclusively to Bloomberg, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent played down the recent selloff in the bond market, rejecting speculation that foreign nations were dumping their holdings of US Treasuries. In her latest column, Bloomberg Opinion's Shuli Ren writes China is done retaliating against President Donald Trump's exorbitant tariffs, calling the administration's actions a "joke" that it no longer considers worthy of matching. The question now is whether President Xi Jinping will find a more potent weapon to strike back - such as its $760 billion worth of Treasury securities. We get her reaction to Bessent's comments. Plus - a degree of calm returned to Wall Street, with stocks and bonds notching a twin rally after a tumultuous week in the grip of President Trump's disruptive trade war. We get reaction to the day's market action from Ross Mayfield, Investment Strategist at Baird. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode - US President Donald Trump pledged he will still apply tariffs to phones, computers and popular consumer electronics, downplaying a weekend exemption as a procedural step in his overall push to remake American trade. We preview the trading week ahead with Chuck Cumello, President and CEO at Essex Financial Services. Asian stocks advanced at the open after Washington issued the pause on import duties on a range of consumer electronics, lifting sentiment after a volatile week for markets. We get more perspective on the escalating US-China trade war and what it means for Asian markets with Mark Matthews, Head of Asia Research at Julius Baer. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A gauge of Asian stocks is on track for its third consecutive week of decline as market relief turned to angst after the White House clarified US tariffs on China rose to 145%. US Treasuries resumed a selloff from earlier in the week. Equity-index futures for the S&P 500 retreated 1%. In a sign investors are seeking havens and non-US alternatives, the euro soared as much as 1.6%, the yen strengthened and gold set a new high. We check in with Mark Cranfield, Bloomberg MLIV Strategist in Singapore. Less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump backtracked on his broader, once-in-a-century trade war to prevent a meltdown in financial markets, frantic selloffs hit US stocks, bonds and the dollar Thursday as fears of a worldwide recession engulfed Wall Street. We get some market perspective from Patrick Kennedy, Founding Partner at AllSource Investment Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks posted their biggest jump in more than two years as global financial markets rebounded after US President Donald Trump paused most of his sweeping reciprocal tariffs. Treasuries rallied after a tumultuous session. Trump announced a 90-day pause on the new tariffs that hit dozens of trading partners Wednesday. However, he raised duties on China to 125%. That came after the Asian nation retaliated and said it will raise levies on US goods to 84%. We get some perspective from Chi Lo, Senior Market Strategist at BNP Paribas Asset Management. Stateside - Trump’s pledge to pause those tariffs ignited the biggest burst of buying Wall Street has seen since 2008. After narrowly avoiding a bear market, the S&P 500 staged a historic bounce from a selloff that wiped out trillions from global share prices amid the specter of a full-blown trade war that fueled fears of a US recession. The equity benchmark soared 9.5%, the most since the global financial crisis, while the Nasdaq 100 surged 12% as euphoria gripped markets after four days of bruising, high-volume trading. Nearly every stock in major gauges rose. We break down the day's price action with Rebecca Walser, President at Walser Wealth Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stocks sank and Treasuries sold off in Asia Wednesday morning, as financial markets were hit by fresh turmoil after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up the pressure on China and pledged to push ahead with sweeping global tariffs. Bloomberg Opinion's Karishma Vaswani says Washington's tariffs are driving Asian nations to strengthen cooperation with each other and consider drifting back towards China, which could erode American credibility and strategic edge in the Indo-Pacific. She joins the program to discuss her latest column. Plus - The S&P 500 fell 1.6% as trade threats between the US and China knocked down stocks, leaving it on the brink of a bear market. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers warned that the US is now likely headed toward a recession, with potentially 2 million Americans put out of work, thanks to those tariff increases. We get reaction from Stuart Thomas, Founding Principal at Precidian Investments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian shares bounced back after a record selloff, as Japan lead gains on expectations that it will get priority in trade talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration. China slammed the US for threatening to raise its tariffs and pledged to retaliate if Washington follows through, raising the stakes of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. We get some market perspective from Stephanie Leung, Chief Investment Officer at StashAway. On Monday, Trump threatened to slap additional 50% import taxes on China, while readying negotiations with Japan and Israel, leaving markets struggling to grasp his intentions for his sweeping tariff plans. Fears of an economic downturn led to sharp swings in US markets with the S&P 500 index nearing a bear market before finishing slightly down as investors absorbed further tariff news. We unpack the stateside reaction with Ahmed Riesgo, Chief Investment Officer at Insigneo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A flight from global equities accelerated Monday and investors piled into haven assets as the fallout from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs deepened after China slapped retaliatory measures. From Sydney to Tokyo, Asian stocks plunged at the open along with commodities such as oil and copper. Trading of Nikkei 225 and Topix futures was suspended earlier as a circuit breaker was triggered due to a glut of sell orders, according to a notice on Japan Exchange Group's website. Yields on two-year Treasuries, the most policy sensitive bonds, dropped as much as 22 basis points while the Japanese yen and Swiss franc surged. Chinese stocks are bracing for a grim day when trading resumes after an extended weekend, during which Beijing announced 34% tariffs on all imports from the US. A gauge of US-listed Chinese shares fell 8.9% on Friday. For perspective on the week ahead for markets, we speak with Helen Zhu, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director at NF Trinity. The tariff moves underscore the heightened concerns across financial markets as Trump attempts to reshape the global trade in Washington’s favor, increasing the risk of a recession. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made clear that the central bank won’t rush to react to the tariffs, which are likely to have a significant effect on the US economy, including slower growth and higher inflation. We explore what the global selloff could mean for monetary policy with Adam Coons, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Winthrop Capital Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Markets wrap up a turbulent week as Asian shares fall to the lowest level in two months, extending a global selloff in stocks after President Donald Trump’s latest tariff measures drove investors into haven assets. Stateside, the S&P 500 tumbled more than 4.8% for its worst single-day drop since 2020. We speak with Garfield Reynolds, Bloomberg MLIV Asia team lead in Sydney. Plus - Steve Brice, Chief Investment Officer at Standard Chartered Wealth Solutions, shares how he’s navigating the recent market volatility. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Haidi Stroud-Watts and Paul Allen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a special edition of the Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition podcast. Subscribe to the show: on Apple: http://bit.ly/3DWYoAN on Spotify: http://bit.ly/3jGRYiB Anywhere: http://bit.ly/3J1bct9 On today's episode: President Donald Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century as he steps up his campaign to reshape the global economy, sparking threats of retaliation and a selloff in markets around the world.Trump announced Wednesday he will apply at least a 10% tariff on all exporters to the US, with even higher duties on some 60 nations, to counter large trade imbalances with the US. That includes some of the country’s biggest trading partners, such as China — which now faces a tariff of well above 50% on many goods — as well as the European Union, Japan and Vietnam.“For years, hard-working American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful, much of it at our expense,” Trump said during an event in the White House Rose Garden to unveil the so-called reciprocal tariffs. “Now it’s our turn to prosper.”The move marks a dramatic escalation in Trump’s trade war, one that risks triggering retaliation from other countries and upends calculations for businesses and consumers at home. China and the EU, America’s largest trading partner, both said they were preparing to take countermeasures in response.The US president has embraced tariffs as a tool to assert US power, revive manufacturing at home and exact geopolitical concessions — counter to the decades-old consensus that lower trade barriers help to foster ties among nations and prevent conflicts. Economists say the near-term result of his measures will likely be higher US prices and slower growth — or perhaps even a recession.Global financial markets were hit by a sweeping selloff after Trump’s announcement, with US equity futures slumping as much as 4%.Gold hit an all-time high and the traditional haven Japanese yen soared, while China maintained its daily support of the yuan. Ten-year Treasury yields fell toward the closely-watched 4% level, their lowest since October.Read More: Fear Grips Markets as Trump Tariffs Raise Risks to Global GrowthLess than three months after returning to the White House, Trump has already erected trade barriers that are bigger by some measures than those imposed in the notoriously protectionist 1930s. Bloomberg Economics calculates that the effective tax rate the US now charges on more than $3 trillion of imported goods may climb to around 23% — higher than any point in more than a century.A statement published Wednesday by the United States Trade Representative explained the Trump administration calculated its raft of new tariffs primarily based on existing trade balances. Countries running a trade surplus with the US faced a flat 10% rate regardless, as did nations where trade was roughly even.There’s a small difference in the tariff rates first announced by Trump and more than a dozen of those listed in the annex that accompanied the White House executive order. For countries like South Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan and India, the rates in the annex are about 1 percentage point higher than the initial announcement.The 10% baseline charge on everyone takes effect after midnight Saturday. The higher duties on targeted countries — which replace, rather than add on top of the 10% rate — are due to kick in on April 9, the White House said.Read More: List of Reciprocal Tariffs by CountryFor now, the new measures don’t include Canada and Mexico, which are embroiled in a separate on-and-off tariff dispute with the US. They also won’t apply to some products that are subject to separate duties tied to so-called Sec. 232 investigations such as autos, semiconductors and lumber.The reciprocal tariffs were “much worse than we feared,” said Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. There’ll be “huge implications for rerouting of trade,” she said.The president, who’s...

President Donald Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century, stepping up his campaign to reshape the global economy and unnerving investors who see a trade war as a risk to US growth. Trump announced Wednesday he will apply at least a 10% tariff on all exporters to the US, with even higher duties on some 60 nations to counter large trade imbalances with the US. That includes some of the country’s biggest trading partners, such as China — which now faces a tariff of well above 50% on many goods — as well as the European Union, Japan and Vietnam. We get reaction from Bloomberg's Shawn Donnan, Senior Economics Writer for Bloomberg News in Washington. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is urging US trading partners against taking retaliatory steps against Trump’s new set of tariffs. He spoke with Bloomberg's Annmarie Hordern following the tariff announcement. Plus - China vowed to retaliate after being hit with Donald Trump’s biggest tariffs yet, which threaten to decimate trade between the world’s largest economies. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce condemned the US levies and pledged to hit back with unspecified measures in a statement Thursday, adding that the sweeping tariffs threatened the stability of global supply chains. We speak with Jenni Marsh, China EcoGov Team Leader for Bloomberg News. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.