China responded to Trump on Friday by hitting US goods with import taxes of 34%, curbing exports of key minerals and adding American firms to its blacklist, describing Trump’s actions as “bullying” and a violation of international trade rules.

Other countries appear to be hoping they will be able to negotiate deals, despite conflicting signals from the White House about its appetite for talks.

Maroš Šefčovič, the trade commissioner for the EU, which has been planning to retaliate, said on Friday that he had had a “frank” two-hour exchange with US officials, and wrote on social media the trade relationship needed a “fresh approach”.

“The EU’s committed to meaningful negotiations, but also prepared to defend our interests,” he said. “We stay in touch.”

Trump’s moves are consistent with promises he made on the campaign trail last year.

But they were more far-reaching than some analysts had expected, triggering the worst week for the stock market since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic led to global shutdowns and other disruption.

The sell-off started with firms such as Apple and Nike, which rely heavily on suppliers in Asia. But on Friday, it moved into sectors that would typically not face the direct impact of tariffs, such as consumer staples, healthcare and utilities.

“Candidly the mood is pretty sour and it should be,” said Mike Dickson, head of research and quantitative strategies at Horizon Investments in the US, warning that it will take weeks to understand the impact of Trump’s tariffs.

[BBC]