A view from an observatory in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
Jean Chung | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs
U.S. President Donald Trump has been utilizing tariffs in inventive methods: to cease drug trafficking (ostensibly), to protect nationwide safety goals (purportedly) and, now, to hasten the legislative course of overseas.
Trump on Monday mentioned he would improve tariffs on some South Korean items due to Seoul’s delay in implementing the commerce cope with the U.S. struck in October. Duties on autos, prescribed drugs and lumber would improve to 25% from 15%.
Even because the U.S. continues to erect obstacles with its financial companions, others are constructing commerce corridors amongst themselves.
India introduced Monday that it had concluded negotiations over a commerce cope with the European Union. The deal is predicted to be formally signed in about six months and enter into power inside a yr, Reuters reported.
Belligerent strikes by the U.S. might additional estrange it from its allies and the worldwide financial system — a priority mirrored within the U.S. Greenback Index, which is at its weakest since September, and within the continued surge in gold and silver costs.
U.S. equities, nevertheless, stay resilient, as buyers positioned themselves forward of Massive Tech earnings. Apple, Meta, and Microsoft have been main drivers of Monday’s market beneficial properties, and they’re set to reveal their monetary outcomes for the earlier quarter later this week.
Consideration now turns to the U.S. Federal Reserve, which is able to announce its rate of interest resolution within the coming days. Whereas the central financial institution is predicted to maintain charges unchanged, Chair Jerome Powell’s press convention might make clear Trump’s assaults on Fed independence — and Trump would possibly time his announcement of the subsequent Fed Chair for a similar day.
For buyers, it provides one other variable to every week already heavy with earnings, information and political noise.
What it’s good to know at present
Trump says he’ll elevate sure tariffs on South Korea. Duties on imported autos, prescribed drugs and lumber will go as much as 25% from 15% due to a delay in South Korea’s legislature approving a commerce cope with the U.S., Trump mentioned Monday.
Nvidia invests $2 billion in CoreWeave. The chipmaker bought CoreWeave Class A typical inventory at $87.20 per share, in keeping with a launch on Monday, a reduction from Friday’s closing worth of $92.98. Shares of CoreWeave jumped almost 6% on Monday.
Reminiscence chip scarcity to final by 2027. That is in keeping with Sassine Ghazi, CEO of Synopsys, which designs semiconductor instruments. Ghazi advised CNBC final week that many of the reminiscence from the highest gamers “is going on to AI infrastructure.”
Optimistic day for U.S. shares. Main indexes rose Monday, on the again of beneficial properties in Apple, Meta and Microsoft, forward of their earnings stories later within the week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 0.2%. ASML, LVMH and Deutsche Financial institution will report outcomes this week.
[PRO] Behind silver’s new highs. The valuable metallic gained 5.9% on Monday, pushing the worth to $109.10. There are two foremost causes behind its record-breaking run, in keeping with an analyst.
