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US-China tariff pause lifts sentiment but worries linger
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Traders lower bets of Fed rate cut this year
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Focus now on economic data, US inflation set for Tuesday
(Updates throughout)
By Amanda Cooper
LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - A rally in global stocks and
the dollar lost some momentum on Tuesday, as initial euphoria
over a trade truce between the United States and China gave way
to the persistent concern among investors over the impact of the
standoff on the global economy.
The world's two largest economies have initiated a 90-day
pause in their trade war, bringing down reciprocal tariffs and
removing other measures while they negotiate a more permanent
arrangement.
The agreement has reignited investor appetite for stocks,
cryptocurrencies and commodities, unleashing a 3.3% rally on
Wall Street the previous day.
By Tuesday, some of that enthusiasm had ebbed, leaving
European stocks up 0.2% in early trading, boosted by
upbeat corporate results from the likes of German pharma group
Bayer and Danish wind turbine maker Vestas,
which both rose 10%.
Futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 0.4%,
underscoring the caution towards U.S. assets.
"It's the pause that refreshes and makes you feel better.
You just hope that there is more to come. It does show you that
this administration is not immune to market volatility. It does
have a breaking point," IG chief market strategist Chris
Beauchamp said.
Following the Geneva talks, the U.S. said it will cut
tariffs imposed on Chinese imports to 30% from 145% while China
said it would cut duties on U.S. imports to 10% from 125%.
Ratings agency Fitch estimates the U.S. effective tariff
rate is now 13.1%, a notable decline from 22.8% prior to the
agreement but still at levels unseen since 1941 and above the
2.3% that prevailed at the end of 2024.
The U.S. government went one step further on Tuesday,
announcing it will cut the "de minimis" tariff on Chinese
shipments of items valued at up to $800.
The broader markets offered little reaction to this latest
U.S. concession. Shares in Amazon ( AMZN ) eased 0.5% in
premarket trading, following Monday's 8% rally.
FAREWELL 'CRAZY US EXCEPTIONALISM'?
Trump's unpredictable approach to the economy, trade and
international diplomacy have fanned concern about the outlook
for U.S. growth. Together with a lack of progress in hashing out
deals with trade partners, these factors have driven investors
out of U.S. assets for weeks, to the benefit of safe-havens like
gold, the Japanese yen and Swiss franc.
Economists, fund managers and analysts have said that while
the 90-day pause is welcome, it has not changed the bigger
picture.
"When all is said and done, tariffs will still be
dramatically higher and will weigh on U.S. growth,"
Christopher Hodge, chief U.S. economist at Natixis, said.
The dollar surged against a basket of currencies on
Monday by the most in a day since April 22. By Tuesday, some of
that had faded, leaving most other major currencies stronger
across the board.
The euro was up 0.17% at $1.1108, while the yen
strengthened, leaving the dollar down 0.4% at 147.88,
and the pound rose 0.2% to $1.3207.
"You still get that sense from people generally that for the
moment, we will be putting more money back to work in the U.S.,
but we won't be going back to this crazy 'U.S. exceptionalism
trade' of December of just whatever you do, it has to be in the
US. We've got to be a bit more circumspect now," IG's Beauchamp
said.
For now, investors will focus on U.S. inflation data on
Tuesday.
The shift in U.S.-China trade relations has led traders to
reduce their expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, as they
believe policymakers may have more leeway if the risks to
inflation abate.
Traders are now pricing in 58 basis points of cuts this
year, down from over 100 basis points during the height of
tariff-induced anxiety in mid-April.
U.S. Treasury yields were around one-month highs, with the
benchmark 10-year yield flat at 4.453%.
Oil prices steadied on Tuesday, having risen 1.2% on Monday
to a two-week high above $65 a barrel. Gold held around $3,260
an ounce, having fallen 2% on Monday as investors ditched some
safe havens.
(Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee and Rocky Swift in
Tokyo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sam Holmes and Ros
Russell)