讀後心得

U.S. President Trump announced a new round of "reciprocal tariffs" against multiple countries, with an additional 34% tariff on Chinese goods and expanded tax measures against the European Union, Japan, India, and others, triggering a drastic reaction in global markets, with the S&P 500 index plummeting by 6%. China immediately retaliated, planning to impose a 34% tariff on all American products and limit rare earth exports. Countries have shown varying attitudes towards this policy; the British Prime Minister stated that they would not react hastily but emphasized the need to protect national interests; Taiwan decided not to retaliate and focus on resolving trade barriers. India, despite facing new taxes, chose to negotiate for advantages. Countries like Vietnam and Brazil expressed differing views and planned to maintain trade dialogue. The European Union prepared countermeasures to defend its own interests. U.S. officials denied that the tariff policy was aimed at manipulating the economy, emphasizing that the U.S. economy remains strong.

U.S. President Trump recently announced a new round of "reciprocal tariffs" against several countries and regions, including a 34% tariff on Chinese goods, and expanded tariff measures on exports from the EU, Japan, India, and Taiwan, triggering a fierce global reaction.

• Global Market Turmoil: Last Friday, the S&P 500 index plummeted by 6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 5.5%, and the Nasdaq saw a decline of 5.8%. Additionally, the German DAX index fell by over 5%, the UK FTSE 100 index dropped nearly 4%, and the French CAC 40 index also faced significant losses.
• China's Swift Countermeasures: Immediately after Trump announced the tariffs, the Chinese government stated that starting April 10, it would impose a 34% tariff on all U.S. products and restrict the export of rare earth materials. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry indicated that the market has already reacted and criticized the U.S. measures as economic bullying.
• Mixed Reactions from Various Countries:
  • United Kingdom: The UK Prime Minister emphasized that in the face of new challenges, the country will uphold its national interests rationally and calmly, not recklessly engaging in a trade war, but will not rule out any options.
  • Taiwan: The President stated that Taiwan will not retaliate against the U.S. tariff measures and will address non-tariff trade barriers to promote trade negotiations with the U.S.
  • India: Although the U.S. is imposing new tariffs on Indian goods, the Indian government has no intention of taking countermeasures, hoping to gain a favorable position through negotiations.
  • Vietnam: Vietnam expressed regret over the high tariffs from the U.S. and hopes to promote stable bilateral relations through dialogue.
  • Hong Kong: The Hong Kong government explicitly stated that it will not follow the central government in imposing tariffs on American goods and emphasized that its free port policy remains unchanged.
  • Brazil and Zimbabwe: Brazil seeks to reduce tensions between the North and South through dialogue, while Zimbabwe has suspended import tariffs on American goods to promote trade.
• EU's Response: The EU is prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, with trade officials willing to negotiate but also ready to protect their own interests.
• Domestic Reaction in the U.S.: Senior economic advisors at the White House and the Treasury Secretary emphasized that the economy is still growing steadily and will not enter a recession due to tariffs, citing strong employment data to support their views.

Despite ongoing external skepticism, analysts generally believe that the U.S. financial markets have been significantly impacted by the tariff policies, and it is anticipated that the Federal Reserve may pause interest rate hikes in the coming months to observe the subsequent effects.