Authorized and Regulated Entities: SARACEN MARKETS (PTY) LTD

Author name: Market Outlook

Markets Brace for Escalation as 30% Tariffs on EU and Mexico Amplify Trade Policy Uncertainty 1

Markets Brace for Escalation as 30% Tariffs on EU and Mexico Amplify Trade Policy Uncertainty

Financial markets began the week on a cautious note following President Donald Trump’s announcement of new 30% tariffs on imports from the European Union (EU) and Mexico. The policy development adds another layer of complexity to a trade landscape already destabilised by previous levies on a wide spectrum of US trading partners, including Canada, Brazil, […]

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Copper Tariffs Intensify 'Sell America' Narrative as Policy Divisions Emerge Within the Fed 3

Copper Tariffs Intensify ‘Sell America’ Narrative as Policy Divisions Emerge Within the Fed

Trade tensions escalated sharply following the formal announcement by President Donald Trump of a 50% tariff on copper imports, effective August 1. The move reinforces the administration’s protectionist trajectory and further unsettles global markets. Price action in commodity and currency markets indicates investors are beginning to internalise the broader inflationary and policy implications of Trump’s

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Market Sentiment Falters as Trump Signals Sharp Escalation in Commodity Tariffs 5

Market Sentiment Falters as Trump Signals Sharp Escalation in Commodity Tariffs

Global financial markets entered a renewed phase of caution following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a higher than anticipated 50% tariff on metal imports, with additional levies targeting copper and pharmaceuticals reportedly under consideration. The abrupt escalation in trade policy has added to investor uncertainty, particularly given the lack of policy coherence and the

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Markets Steady as Trump Delays Tariff Escalation, Euro Gains on EU Deal Prospects 7

Markets Steady as Trump Delays Tariff Escalation, Euro Gains on EU Deal Prospects

Global markets began the week on a firmer footing after President Donald Trump temporarily deferred the implementation of newly announced tariffs, signalling an openness to further negotiations. The delay, alongside ongoing bilateral trade talks, has eased short term uncertainty, allowing risk sentiment to improve moderately. The US dollar weakened slightly, while the euro advanced amid

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Rising Trade Tensions Reassert Risks Despite Resilient Labour Data 11

Rising Trade Tensions Reassert Risks Despite Resilient Labour Data

Markets are navigating a mixed set of signals as President Donald Trump intensifies trade threats ahead of a critical July 9 deadline, while stronger than expected labour market data in the US has tempered expectations for immediate monetary easing. The US financial markets are closed for the Independence Day holiday, resulting in lighter trading conditions.

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Heightened Market Sensitivity Ahead of Key US Labour Report 13

Heightened Market Sensitivity Ahead of Key US Labour Report

Financial markets are on high alert ahead of the release of the June US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report, with investors weighing the implications of potential labour market softening for the trajectory of Federal Reserve (Fed) policy. The data is set to be pivotal for the near-term direction of the US dollar and broader risk sentiment,

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Cautious Calm in Markets as Tariff Threats Persist and Labour Data Looms 15

Cautious Calm in Markets as Tariff Threats Persist and Labour Data Looms

Investor sentiment remains delicately balanced as markets navigate the interplay between persistent US trade threats and expectations of an increasingly accommodative Federal Reserve. President Donald Trump’s latest rhetoric targeting Japan specifically threatening fresh tariff hikes and criticising Tokyo’s restrictions on US rice imports has heightened trade policy uncertainty. Despite this, the US dollar has broadly

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Dollar Retreats Amid Leadership Uncertainty at the Federal Reserve 17

Dollar Retreats Amid Leadership Uncertainty at the Federal Reserve

The US dollar softened and Treasury yields declined as market participants priced in the increased probability of earlier-than-anticipated monetary easing by the Federal Reserve. The shift in expectations was triggered by reports that President Donald Trump may soon announce an early successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, potentially before the end of Q3 2025. While

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Monetary Policy Easing Expectations Strengthen Amid Mixed Signals from the Fed 19

Monetary Policy Easing Expectations Strengthen Amid Mixed Signals from the Fed

Markets exhibited cautious optimism as expectations for a US interest rate cut gained traction following nuanced remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and a series of follow up statements by regional Fed officials. Despite maintaining a broadly patient tone, Powell acknowledged growing downside risks from softening inflation and weakening consumer sentiment, prompting Treasury traders

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