Asia markets open to a bloodbath
The turmoil of President Donald Trump’s tariffs reverberated around the world, including in Asia, where markets opened to a bloodbath, triggering circuit breakers in some places.
Hong Kong led the losses in the region, where trading resumed after a holiday on Friday, with the Hang Seng Index plunging 11% in one of its biggest single-day falls, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost more than 7% in value.
Trading was briefly halted in Japan after the futures for the Nikkei 225 and Topix briefly dipped below 8% — activating automatic circuit-breakers that stop a market freefall. The broader Topix index in Japan, and China’s CSI 300 index, also recorded similar losses. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 extended losses to 5.3%.
In South Korea, where the Kospi index recorded a 5% plunge, authorities announced they were prepared to provide up to 100 trillion won ($68 billion) in emergency liquidity and other market stabilization measures.
Trump to host the Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House
Trump this morning is set to host the Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the 2024 World Series.
Shortstop Mookie Betts told reporters last week that he will be in attendance, despite previously declining Trump’s invitation to visit the White House in 2019 when Betts played for the Boston Red Sox.
Trump to hold joint news conference with Netanyahu as Israeli PM seeks tariff relief
Trump will hold a joint news conference this afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
The prime minister’s visit comes less then a week after Trump imposed a 17% tariff on Israeli goods, even though the country had canceled all its tariffs on goods from the U.S., its largest trading partner.
Netanyahu will seek relief from the tariffs, he said in a statement yesterday. He will be the first world leader to meet with the president in person to negotiate tariffs after Trump’s sweeping announcement last week.