President Trump announced tariffs on Chinese imports Thursday, reigniting fears of a trade war and sending jitters through the the stock market. “Even though this has been out there, the big worry is what’s the next shoe to drop,” said Daniel Ives, Chief Strategy Officer at GBH Insights. The tariffs are aimed at curbing what Trump calls “a tremendous intellectual property theft problem.” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer now has 15 days to identify $50 billion worth of imports to tax, with a focus on technology products. Many experts and investors fear that China will retaliate, impacting companies like Boeing that have carved large markets in China. This move comes shortly after Trump levied taxes on imported steel and aluminium, angering allies around the world, including Canada and the EU. Lighthizer signaled on Thursday that most of those allies will now be exempt from the metals tariffs, seeming to send a clear signal that much of Trump’s protectionist policies are squarely crafted with China in mind. Overall, Chinese companies may have more to lose from these recent IP tariffs than U.S. tech companies, said Ives. He pointed out that, other than Amazon, revenue from China is negligible for most companies. In addition to the tariff news, the markets were still reacting to Facebook’s privacy scandal. The social media giant “continues to be that dark cloud over tech stocks,” said Ives. “[It’s] been a lot of angst amongst investors we’ve been talking to.”

Share:
More In Business
Starbucks’ Change Flushes Out a Debate Over Public Restroom Access
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
Trump Highlights Partnership Investing $500 Billion in AI
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Load More