The main European stock exchanges opened today with slight gains, following the U.S. government’s decision to delay the increase in tariffs from July 9 to August 1, allowing for potential trade agreements.
At 08:40 in Lisbon, Germany’s benchmark index DAX stood out by rising 0.12% to 24,101.38 points, while the UK’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.05% to 8,811 points.
Meanwhile, Madrid’s market added 0.01%, trading near the waterline, and Paris moved in the opposite direction, declining 0.16% to 7,711.40 points.
The Euro Stoxx 50, an index comprising Europe’s largest companies, also fluctuated between positive and negative territory, rising 0.01%.
The markets were reacting to the extension set by the U.S. for the imposition of new tariffs until August 1, as the country began sending letters with new tariffs to some partners, such as Japan and South Korea, with the rates imposed unilaterally.
South Korea stated today that it interprets the letter sent by Washington, announcing the imposition of “reciprocal” tariffs of 25% starting August 1, as a tacit extension of the negotiation period and called an emergency meeting to outline its response strategy.
In Asia, the Nikkei index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange closed up 0.36%, the Shanghai Stock Exchange index gained 0.70%, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange advanced 1.47%, and the Hang Seng Index on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, minutes before closing, rose 0.90%.
Wall Street closed ‘in red’ on Monday, with the Dow Jones dropping more than 400 points after U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on imports from various countries, ranging from 25% to 40%.
Futures today show slight gains: 0.29% for the Nasdaq, 0.13% for the S&P 500, and 0.01% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Regarding commodities, gold responded to the new tariff truce by remaining stable, trading at $3,343 per ounce, while oil prices fell.
Brent decreased 0.47% to $69.25 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 0.59% to $67.53, ahead of the market’s official opening.
