Overview

• President Trump has suggested that upcoming tariffs, set to begin April 2, may be more targeted and lenient, with some countries potentially receiving exemptions.
• Asian markets and Wall Street have seen modest gains, driven by optimism that the tariffs might not be as broad or severe as initially feared.
• U.S. consumer confidence has dropped to its lowest level in over four years, with expectations for the next six months reaching a 12-year low, signaling economic uncertainty.
• The Federal Reserve is reassessing its monetary policy, with analysts suggesting potential delays to interest rate cuts due to inflationary concerns from trade policies.
• Oil prices rose slightly following U.S. secondary tariffs on Venezuelan oil buyers, though the impact was moderated by Black Sea security agreements.