
US stocks mostly fell on Friday after President Trump threatened Canada with a 35% tariff on its imports to the US and floated higher blanket levies on most trading partners.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell 0.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) displayed resilience, briefly turning green. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) declined 0.6%, dropping over 250 points to lead the way down.
Meanwhile, bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose above $118,000 per token to hover at new highs, continuing a furious crypto rally.
Markets are once again taking Trump’s tariff threats in stride. Late Thursday, Trump on Truth Social posted a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, telling him that Canadian goods imported to the US would face a 35% tariff starting in August. The White House has since clarified that many of the carveouts currently in place for Canada tariffs would remain, likely exempting a slew of goods from those punitive duties.
The market has largely shaken off Trump’s renewed tariff threats this week, which have culminated in nearly two-dozen letters to trading partners dictating the duties their country’s imports will face beginning Aug. 1. In an interview with NBC News, Trump also floated 15% to 20% blanket tariffs on most trading partners, higher than the 10% level currently in effect.
Eyes are on what happens next with the European Union, India, and other large trade partners.
Read more: The latest on Trump’s tariffs
For his part, Trump brushed off concerns about inflation and touted the stock market highs reached on Thursday. Wall Street has rallied over the last few months, though that has come after he decided to pause his most sweeping duties on trade partners announced in April’s “Liberation Day” event.
“I think the tariffs have been very well-received. The stock market hit a new high today,” he said.
But at least one prominent investor had said Thursday that markets need to start taking the tariff threats a bit more seriously.
“Unfortunately, I think there is complacency in the markets,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said Thursday.
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