Squawk Box Europe Express

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are on track to post their worst trading week since September 2023 ahead of next week’s Trump tariff blitz on ‘Liberation Day’, April 2nd. Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts CEOs in Beijing in a bid to boost business ties and calls for trade dialogue with the U.S. We hear from Santander chair Ana Botin who calls U.S. tariffs as a tax on consumers and says that the levies will hit America harder than Europe. And in entertainment news, French gaming company Ubisoft secures a more-than-€1bn investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent to help back its largest franchises.

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President Trump slaps a 25 per cent levy on all car imports to the U.S., sending autos shares sharply lower. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen says the bloc will seek to negotiate with President Trump but vows to protects its own economic interests. Germany’s car industry association says the tariffs are a ‘fatal signal’ for global free trade. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves restores her fiscal headroom in her spring statement through a series of cuts but the OBR strikes a sombre note, halving its growth outlook for 2025. And in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron convenes the ‘coalition of the willing’ while Ukraine and Russia continue to accuse each other of breaking ceasefire agreements.

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We are live outside the House of Commons in London where Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her Spring Statement later today. Spending cuts are to top the agenda as Reeves struggles to revive a moribund economy. This, as the country’s budget watchdog, the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, is set to halve the country’s growth forecast for the year. UK economists also predict a small easing of the inflation rate ahead of the release of a final key data point. The Trump administration doubles down, shrugging off the fallout of the Signal chat security leak. President Trump defends U.S. retaliatory strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. And in the Black Sea, Ukrainian drones have reportedly been shot down just hours following a naval truce between Moscow and Kyiv.  

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President Trump says he is prepared to offer exemptions to some countries from reciprocal tariffs which begin on April 2nd. However, he pledges to add further levies on other key sectors such as autos, pharma, chips and lumber. Tesla sees European sales fall by more than 40 per cent during the first two months of the year. EV registrations on the Continent, however, surge by almost 30 per cent. Despite this, Tesla shares soar Stateside in their best session since November. And Washington DC is in uproar after a U.S. military operation against the Houthis in the Red Sea is mistakenly leaked to The Atlantic’s editor in a Signal group chat.  

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The annual China Development Forum kicks off in Beijing with Chinese Premier Li Qiang insisting the country is open to investment. President Trump signals he may be flexible on certain reciprocal tariffs. Canadian PM Mark Carney calls a snap election for April in a move to capitalise on growing anti-Trump sentiment throughout the country. In the UK, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announces plans to slash 10,000 civil service jobs in a bid to revive a flagging economy and plug a fiscal shortfall.  

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London’s Heathrow is shut with all flights cancelled or diverted following a massive sub-station fire knocks out power to the airport and to nearby neighbourhoods. The Dow and S&P 500 are slightly in the green to eke gains for the week but U.S. equities remain under pressure. DoubleLine Capital’s Jeffrey Gundlach believes a recession is a possibility. Brussels delays retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. by two weeks, pushing for further dialogue with the Trump administration. And in shipping news, Hapag-Lloyd suffers a 19 per cent fall in FY profits. CEO Rolf Habben-Jansen tells CNBC tariffs concerns are weighing on the sector.

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The Federal Reserve keeps rates on hold as anticipated. Chairman Jerome Powell signalled he was easing off on the growth forecast and slightly raising inflation projections. However, markets shrugged off any concerns and now expect two more potential rate cuts this year. The PBOC also maintains rates for the fifth straight month with the BoE and the Riksbank set to follow suit. The SNB is likely to cut once again later today. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang talks to our colleagues Stateside, spelling out the firm’s A.I. infrastructure building plan. U.S. President Donald Trump hails his phone call with Ukrainian counterpart Volodomyr Zelenskyy, saying peace talks remained on track. Moscow and Kyiv still accuse each other of undermining any partial ceasefire with attacks energy installations.

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Germany pass historic debt reform in the Bundestag, launching a fiscal bazooka of infrastructure and defence spending. Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz says the move will help create a new European security alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a near-two hour phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump and agrees to cease attacks on Ukrainian energy installations but hopes of an immediate truce fall short. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy says his country’s involvement in peace talks is paramount. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveils the firm’s next generation of super-chips. And the BoJ decides to stay put on rates, signalling Tokyo’s growing concerns over Trump tariffs. The Federal Reserve is due to make its rate decision later today. 

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Israel shatters the ceasefire with Hamas - launching air strikes on dozens of targets in Gaza and killing hundreds. U.S. retail sales rise less than expected, adding to concerns about the state of the U.S. consumer - as the OECD warns of slowing global growth. Elsewhere Germany's Bundestag is expected to shake off the country's fiscal shackles today and overhaul its debt brake laws - lifting the cap on defence spending and greenlighting €500 billion in infrastructure investment. And BYD unveils a potential game-changer - rolling out new tech it claims can charge EVs in just five minutes.

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Asian equities are in the green as Chinese demand surges in the face of U.S. tariffs. Authorities in Beijing have pledged further moves to revive consumption. In the U.S., futures slip again. The Dow suffers its worst week since 2023. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells NBC News that he remains unfazed by market turmoil. President Trump says he will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising hopes of a ceasefire in Ukraine. German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz clinches a deal with the Green Party to launch a defence and infrastructure package later this week. 

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