Tariffs Trigger Market Meltdown

Global stocks took a steep dive on Monday, rattled by escalating tariff battles between the US and China. European indices suffered heavy losses, with Germany's Dax plunging 9% and London's FTSE down nearly 5%. 

Asia bore the brunt even more severely: Hong Kong's Hang Seng plummeted 13%, its worst single-day drop since 1997, while Japan’s Nikkei shed 7.9%, with tech giant Sony tumbling over 10%.

Markets reacted sharply to Washington’s surprise 34% tariff on Chinese imports, hitting key sectors like semiconductors and electric vehicles hard. 

China's reciprocal 34% tariff on US goods intensified the turmoil, signaling a deeper trade conflict. Taiwan's Taiexfell 9.7%, driven by heavy losses at leading exporters TSMC and Foxconn, each dropping around 10%.

Trading volumes surged dramatically, reflecting widespread investor panic and forced liquidations. On Wall Street, futures markets hinted at another painful day after two sessions wiped out over $5.4 trillion in value—the worst two-day loss in five years. Even safe-haven gold retreated over 4%, slipping to around $3,030 per ounce.

Oil markets weren't spared either: Brent crude slid 2.4%, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate lost 2.5%. Australia’s ASX 200 closed down 4.2%, New Zealand’s NZX 50 fell 3.7%, and South Korea’s Kospi dropped 5.6%, with Samsung losing more than 5%.

What Does This Mean for Me?

Despite calls from global business leaders urging restraint, Trump remained defiant, insisting on addressing trade deficits, particularly with China, which reached $438.9 billion last year. Asian economies like South Korea and Singapore now face downgraded growth projections amid uncertainty.

Investors globally are nervously watching as US tariffs continue reshaping markets, raising serious questions about sustained economic stability.